OAKLAND COUNTY, MI (November 5, 2021) - Expanding access to mental health crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers is a priority, according to Oakland Community Health Network’s CEO, Dana Lasenby. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, a 40-hour course that helps law enforcement officers learn how to approach and assist individuals who are in mental health crisis. A total of more than 800 law enforcement, corrections, and dispatch personnel in Oakland County been trained in mental health crisis intervention since 2015.
“Our law enforcement officers are often the first on the scene when an individual is having a mental health or substance use disorder crisis, and as CEO of our county’s public mental health authority, I am committed to providing them with the tools, training, and resources they need to respond,” said Lasenby. “This collaborative initiative is bringing law enforcement, mental health providers, individuals served, and community leaders together to improve care and enhance public safety.”
Oakland Community Health Networked hosted their seventh 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training this week with 40 law enforcement officers from Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, City of Northville, Clawson, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Keego Harbor, Royal Oak, and Southfield Police Departments.
“Officers trained in CIT have done an outstanding job of responding to situations and connecting individuals to the mental health care they need,” said Trisha Zizumbo, Director of Training at Oakland Community Network (OCHN). “The partnership between OCHN and law enforcement has made a tremendous difference for residents with mental illness who need treatment, not jail time.”
