Challenges and Solutions in Crisis Intervention Teams, Crisis intervention teams (CITs) represent a groundbreaking approach to mental health crisis response, but implementing and sustaining effective CIT programs come with challenges. Understanding common obstacles and proactive solutions is vital for law enforcement agencies, mental health providers, and community leaders seeking to optimize CIT impact. This article discusses what crisis intervention teams are, how they work, key challenges faced in practice, and strategies to overcome them for durable program success.
What Is a Crisis Intervention Team?
A crisis intervention team is a collaborative, community-based initiative mainly involving police officers trained to handle behavioral health crises with empathy and skill. The goal is to safely manage mental health emergencies while connecting individuals to appropriate treatment resources, rather than routine arrest or incarceration.
How Do Crisis Intervention Teams Work?
CIT programs function through specialized training for officers, strategic dispatching of mental health-related calls, collaboration with healthcare providers, and established crisis care facilities. On-scene, CIT officers utilize de-escalation and assessment techniques to ensure safe crisis resolution and effective referral to services. These integrated efforts rely on cross-agency communication and community partnerships.
Common Challenges Faced by Crisis Intervention Teams
1. Obtaining Officer Buy-In
Shifting traditional policing culture towards de-escalation and empathetic crisis response can encounter resistance. Officers unfamiliar or uncomfortable with mental health issues may see CIT training as burdensome or less relevant. Voluntary participation and showcasing real-world benefits can mitigate reluctance.
2. Expanding Beyond Policing
Successful CIT programs increasingly incorporate co-responder models pairing officers with clinicians or extend training to EMS personnel. However, funding, staffing, and interagency collaboration complexities can hinder these expansions.
3. Dispatch Training and Policies
Dispatchers play a critical role in recognizing behavioral health crises and assigning CIT resources appropriately. Lack of specialized dispatcher training or unclear policies can delay or misdirect responses, undermining CIT effectiveness.
4. Limited Crisis Receiving Facilities
Adequate crisis stabilization centers with no-refusal policies are essential for smooth diversion from jail or emergency departments. Many jurisdictions struggle with insufficient or inaccessible psychiatric emergency facilities, causing bottlenecks in care transitions.
5. Rural Implementation Challenges
CIT programs originally designed for urban contexts face unique hurdles in rural areas, including fewer mental health resources, longer transport times, and decentralized law enforcement agencies.
6. Sustaining Community Partnerships
Maintaining coordinated effort among law enforcement, mental health agencies, hospitals, and advocacy groups requires ongoing communication, conflict resolution, and shared vision, which can be difficult amid personnel changes and competing priorities.
7. Funding and Resource Allocation
Training, personnel time, facility maintenance, and follow-up services necessitate stable funding streams. Securing grants and local government commitment is critical but often uncertain.
Solutions and Best Practices for Enhancing CIT Programs
Promote Officer Engagement
Encourage voluntary enrollment and peer-led advocacy highlighting CIT’s positive impact on safety and public trust. Incorporating officers’ feedback in program design increases ownership.
Develop Robust Training for Dispatch
Provide specialized dispatcher training emphasizing crisis recognition and CIT protocols. Clear policies support timely and appropriate resource deployment.
Foster Co-Responder and EMS Training Models
Invest in partnerships with healthcare providers to implement co-responder teams and extend CIT training to EMS and other first responders for comprehensive crisis care coverage.
Invest in Crisis Facility Capacity
Advocate for increased funding and policy support to establish or expand psychiatric crisis stabilization centers with no-refusal policies. Facilitate memorandums of understanding between agencies for smooth operations.
Tailor CIT Strategies to Rural Areas
Adapt training, communication platforms, and resource allocation to address rural challenges. Use telehealth and mobile crisis units to bridge geographic gaps.
Coordinate and Sustain Partnerships
Organize regular interagency meetings, create shared data platforms, and develop conflict resolution mechanisms to maintain strong collaboration amid personnel turnover.
Secure Stable Funding
Pursue diversified funding sources including federal grants (such as SAMHSA), state resources, and community partnerships. Demonstrate outcomes through data to build sustained support.
Conclusion
Challenges and Solutions in Crisis Intervention Teams, While challenges exist in implementing and sustaining crisis intervention teams, proactive solutions and collaborative commitment can overcome obstacles. By addressing officer buy-in, dispatch training, resource gaps, and partnership sustainability, communities can build resilient CIT programs that deliver compassionate crisis care and improve public safety.
