Crisis Intervention Training for New Hampshire's First Responders - Through the Crisis Intervention Training for New Hampshire’s First Responders Project, NAMI New Hampshire and its partners will train 435 NH State Police (NHSP) and Fire/Emergency Medical Services personnel (Fire/EMS) to recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness, provide them with the skills to effectively de-escalate situations and make appropriate referrals to community mental health services in order to ensure the safety of individuals with mental illness, First Responders and the general public.
The population to be served are individuals with mental illness, or those experiencing a mental health crisis, who come into contact with NHSP and Fire/EMS. In any given year, 1 in 5 Granite Staters has a mental illness – approximately 260,000 individuals. Strategies include two practices: The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model is a 40-hour best practice training that helps First Responders recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses; safety de-escalate individuals experiencing mental health crises; and utilize community mental health services and diversion strategies to provide assistance. Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety (MHFA-PS) is an 8-hour evidence-based practice training for First Responders that helps them better understand mental illnesses and provides them with effective strategies to de-escalate situations involving psychiatric crises. Goals and outcomes: Goal 1) Improve First Responder, consumer and public safety when responding to calls involving individuals with mental illness. Objective 1a) By September 30 of each of the three project years, partners will have trained 75 NHSP Troopers and 20 Fire/EMS providers in the 40-hour, evidence-based, Crisis Intervention Team model. Objective 1b) By September 30 of each of the three project years, partners will have trained 50 Fire/EMS providers in the 8-hour, evidence-based, Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety (MHFA-PS). Goal 2) Implement a community-oriented collaborative model for responding to individuals in psychiatric crisis that will improve individual outcomes, reduce arrests and incarceration, as well as avoid more costly interventions through timely referrals to community-based treatment. Objective 2a) By December 1, 2018, convene the NH Crisis Intervention Project Steering Committee comprised of representatives of the project partners including NHSP, Fire/EMS, NH Community Behavioral Health Association, Granite State Critical Incidence Stress Management Team, NAMI New Hampshire, and the NH Bureau of Mental Health Services. Objective 2b) By February 1, 2019, project partners will have established pathways for First Responders who are trained in CIT and MHFA-PS to refer individuals with mental illness with whom they interact to community mental health services. Goal 3) Evaluate project activities to ensure training is effective and appropriate referrals to mental health or related services are made trained NHSP Troopers and Fire/EMS providers. Objective 3a) By February 1, 2019, project partners will begin to implement appropriate evaluation of CIT and MHFA-PS trainings to ensure effectiveness and fidelity to the practices. Objective 3b) By February 1, 2019, CIT and MHFA-PS trainees will begin reporting the number of individuals referred to mental health or related services to Project Evaluator. Annually, 145 First Responders will be trained. A total of 435 First Responders will be trained throughout the 3-year project period.
