Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is an international program with an objective to train first responders on how to intervene in crisis situations involving individuals in a behavioral health crisis. The Tuscarawas County CIT program was established in 2016 by the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, and since then, 195 individuals have participated in training.
Local police departments, fire departments, probation officers, court personnel, hospital security, among many other agencies and organizations take part in ensuring that their officers and first responders are trained how to properly intervene in crisis situations.
Tuscarawas County Resources: Below are local resources in which first responders learn about and utilize as a CIT Officer or first responder (click on each resource for more information):
- Mental Health Resources:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline
- SpringVale Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU)
- ACE Inc.
- Tuscarawas County Survivors of Suicide (SOS) Loss Support Group
- Counseling Agencies, including: Chrysalis Counseling Center, Guiding Grace Counseling, Living Tree Recovery Centers, New Life Counseling, OhioGuidestone, SpringVale (previously Community Mental Health (CMH)), Southeast Inc., The Village Network, and the Wellmore Centre
- Substance Use Resources:
- Veteran Resources:
- Veteran Crisis Line (dial 988, then press 1)
- Tuscarawas County Veteran Services
- Veteran Affairs (VA)
- The Redeemed 22 (Faith-Based Local Support Group by Veterans, for Veterans)
- Geriatric Resources:
- Youth Resources:
- Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Resources:
- Resources for Basic Needs:
- Housing and Shelter Resources
- Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County (Homeless Shelter)
- Rent Assistance Resources
- Utility assistance resources
- Food Resources
- Clothing Resources
- Education Resources
- Employment Resources
- Transportation Resources
- Information on How to Obtain a Certified Copy of Your Birth Certificate/Social Security Card/State ID
- Bridges to Wellness
The local departments across Tuscarawas and Carroll Counties who have CIT trained officers and personnel are as follows:
- Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office (Road, Corrections, and Communications Divisions)
- New Philadelphia Police Department
- Dover Police Department
- Uhrichsville Police Department
- Dennison Police Department
- Midvale Police Department
- Gnadenhutten Police Department
- Port Washington Police Department
- Tuscarawas Police Department
- Bolivar Police Department
- Strasburg Police Department
- Sugarcreek Police Department
- Newcomerstown Police Department
- Veteran Affairs Police Department
- Kent State University Police Department
- Ohio State Highway Patrol – New Philadelphia
- Adult Parole Authority (APA)
- Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Police Department
- Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Security
- Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Dispatch
- New Philadelphia Fire Department
- Dover Fire Department
- Uhrichsville Fire Department
- Tuscarawas County Community Corrections
- New Philadelphia Municipal Court Probation
- New Philadelphia Municipal Court Personnel
- Tuscarawas County Southern District Court Probation
- Tuscarawas County Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
- Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
- NewPointe Church Personnel
- Carrol County Sheriff’s Office (Road and Corrections Divisions)
- Coshocton County Community Corrections
CIT helps educate first responders on mental illness and training of best practice skills to de-escalate certain crisis situations involving an individual in a mental health crisis and/or special population. CIT is vital in ensuring proper diversion for those with behavioral health issues to treatment and other resources vital for their stability and recovery.
CIT Fast Facts: How many mental health-related calls are handled by the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office?: 285 mental health-related calls in 2022, 242 mental health-related calls in 2021, & 221 mental health-related calls in 2020.
Tuscarawas County CIT Program: The topics included in the Tuscarawas County CIT curriculum are as follows:
- Severe & Persistent Mental Health in Our Community
- Street Drug/Addiction
- Psychiatric Medications
- Neurocognitive Disorders
- Suicide Prevention & Awareness
- Developmental Disability Awareness
- Youth Crisis
- Excited Delirium
- Veteran Crisis Awareness
- Human Trafficking
- Family Panel, including members of the community and law enforcement with lived experience with mental health
- Liability & Use of Force
- Competency to Stand Trial/NGRI
- Pink Slip
- Tuscarawas County Crisis Resource Panel, where trainees meet a panel of resources from across the community to help familiarize them with local resources to help individuals during and after a crisis connect with local resources
- First Responder Mental Health
- Principles of De-Escalation being a CIT Officer/Tactical Safety Officer
Trainees also take part in a full-day of role-plays, where local actors assist in creating real-life scenarios in which the trainees must utilize the skills they learned during the training week to de-escalate and connect the individual in crisis with services.
