OCHN Partners with Royal Oak Police Department to Launch New Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Attention: Community Editors
Contact: Christine Burk • [email protected] • 248-975-9684
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI (April 4, 2022) – Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) and the Royal Oak Police Department hosted their first 40-hour CIT Training together. The training used a new CIT International curriculum, with a pilot class of 15 law enforcement officers from Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield, Auburn Hills, and Southfield Police Departments.
 
CIT training is a 40-hour course that helps law enforcement officers learn how to approach, assist, and deescalate individuals who are in mental health crisis. Three officers from Royal Oak Police Department (ROPD) received training in the new curriculum from CIT International in December and OCHN staff will be trained in May. 
 
“Officers trained in CIT are better prepared to respond and connect individuals in crisis to the mental health care they need,” said Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore. “The partnership between OCHN and law enforcement has made a tremendous difference for residents with mental illness who need treatment, not jail time.”
 
CIT is a community partnership of law enforcement, community mental health, individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families, and other advocates. It is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system due to illness-related behaviors.  

“Law enforcement officers are often the first on the scene when an individual is having a mental health or substance use disorder crisis, and OCHN is committed to providing them with the tools, training, and resources they need to respond,” said Dana Lasenby, OCHN CEO. “This collaborative initiative is bringing law enforcement and mental health together to improve care and enhance public safety.”
 
Since 2015, OCHN and law enforcement partners, such as the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, have trained more than 850 law enforcement, corrections, and dispatch personnel in Oakland County on mental health crisis intervention.
About OCHN
OCHN leads a provider service network that assists approximately 23,000 Oakland County citizens at more than 300 service sites across the county. People who receive public mental health services through OCHN's provider network include those who have an intellectual or developmental disability, mental health challenge, or substance use disorder. The majority of these individuals have Medicaid insurance coverage. 
 
OCHN's goal is to ensure these individuals are aware of and have access to services and supports that will improve their health and quality of life, as well as ensure their engagement in full community participation. Its mission to “inspire hope, empower people, and strengthen communities” reflects an unyielding belief in a "Valuable System for Valued People." Programs and supports provided by OCHN's service network are available at www.oaklandchn.org.
Oakland Community Health Network | www.oaklandchn.org