Local police officers from 6 DeKalb County agencies undergo crisis intervention training

DeKALB – Twenty-four police officers from local law enforcement units underwent a 40-hour state-certified Crisis Intervention Team training this week.

Officers who participated were from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and DeKalb, Sycamore, Cortland, Kirkland and Sandwich police departments.

“Having officers trained to be more aware of mental health situations can help link members of the community to services they need,” said Abbie Ascencio, a police social worker with the DeKalb and Sycamore police departments. “We’re very happy the training is offered locally to make police officers more prepared when they respond to calls from the community.”

CIT training provides police officers education about mental illness and substance abuse, and provides skills and tools for effectively and safely interacting with someone who is experiencing a crisis.

According to the Northern Illinois Training Advisory Board course description, key components of the course include exposing the officers to the basic dynamics of common types of mental illness and the experiences, viewpoints and concerns of people with mental illnesses and their families.

Northwestern Medicine facilitated the grant-writing and partnered with the DeKalb and Sycamore police departments to offer the training. Family Service Agency and the Ben Gordon Center also collaborated to bring the training locally.

The training took place Monday through Friday this week. On Monday, the officers learned about stigma and how to identify the signs of mental illness. On Tuesday, they learned about child and adolescent trauma and psychiatric issues, as well as what local agencies are available to help in the community. On Wednesday, they learned about de-escalation, risk assessment and the legal system and mental health code. On Thursday, the officers underwent scenario training with professional actors to practice de-escalation and put what they learned to use. On Friday, they watched video recordings of their scenarios and learned about veterans and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The training is a broad stroke of what mental illness and substance abuse looks like and how to get people the help they need,” said Mark Benson, CIT regional coordinator. “As the service climate changes, more people with mental illnesses are incarcerated, where they can’t be treated and their symptoms get worse. This training is to help law enforcement better understand situations so they can be de-escalated.”

DeKalb Police Cmdr. Jason Leverton said the training is applicable to what he does every day on the job.

“As much as 40% of calls for police service are because of mental health issues,” Leverton said. “It’s important to know the underlying conditions to give us the tools to respond differently and to be more aware and patient. This training is important because we want to provide the best possible outcome and hopefully avoid physical confrontations. We want to be more than law enforcement officers – we want to be purveyors of other social services.”

Leverton described the training as an “additional way members of law enforcement can better help the community.”

“It’s important for the community to know that law enforcement is aware of alternative approaches for people going through a crisis,” Leverton said. “Almost every person can relate to someone that has needed medical or mental intervention. The need for help is common, and there shouldn’t be a stigma surrounding it. … Not only police officers, but the whole community should know that mental health disorders and substance abuse are medical conditions that need treatment.”

For information about Crisis Intervention Team training, visit www.citinternational.org or www.ptb.illinois.gov.