Thursday, May 2, 2024
5/2/2024
The purpose of this project, called the Lackawanna County De-escalation and Crisis Intervention Collaboration, is to strengthen and grow the delivery of two nationally recognized training models in Lackawanna County. The models are Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Trainings, which teach the skills necessary for police officers and related professionals to ensure that the best possible outcomes occur when they encounter individuals impacted by a mental illness or mental health crisis. CIT is a national best practice model that was developed in Memphis and is taught internationally. CIT is a 40-hour training that is designed to educate law enforcement and related professionals with fact-based information about mental illness and enable them to utilize de-escalation techniques that are practiced and evaluated through guided role-plays. The CIT training will include modules that address de-escalation techniques, cultural competency, racial sensitivity and topics regarding the LGBTQ community. Additionally, one-day CIT refresher trainings will be conducted for police officers and related professionals who were previously certified in the 40-hour CIT training. The goals of the project are to provide CIT and MHFA Training to Lackawanna County police officers and related professionals, which will help ensure that officers address their own mental health and consequential stigma and develop the skills to approach mental health calls differently than the traditional model of policing. As the nation looks for reform in law enforcement, while adding in training for de-escalation and sensitivity techniques, CIT and MHFA are two well-proven programs that should be the cornerstone to all departments approach to the ever-growing number of calls involving mental health issues and it is important to note the addition of sensitivity, inclusion and de-escalation to this important and valuable training component. It is difficult to speak specifically to the number of individuals to be served, as law enforcement touches so many lives. In addition, as noted above, the officers will benefit from this program as well. As this effort is to launch an intentional multi-year approach to providing two proven training programs, we expect that these efforts will positively affect the entire population of Lackawanna County: directly and/or indirectly. The objective of the project is to annually train 120 police officers and related professionals, training 600 police officers and related professionals over the five-year period of the grant.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
