Florida Partners in Crisis

Florida CIT Coalition

Organized in 2004, the Florida CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) Coalition is comprised of representatives of communities across Florida that are currently providing CIT training based on the Memphis Model. The group supports statewide implementation of CIT training for law enforcement officers.

Included are the Florida Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health America. Other members represent the Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida, Florida International University, the Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Council for Behavioral Healthcare and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.

The Coalition's goals are to:

• Promote CIT to other communities for implementation

• Provide technical assistance to other communities for CIT expansion
  
  
• Promote and provide regional training for CIT trained officers/deputies
  
  
• Ensure sustainability of CIT in Florida
  
  
• Gather useful data regarding the efficacy of the CIT program

The Coalition meets quarterly to work on expansion of the CIT model, share experiences, network and develop strategies for improving their programs and ensuring sustainability of CIT in Florida. To join the Coalition contact: Michele Saunders, LCSW, Florida CIT Coalition Chair, at 407-925-2462 or msaunders416@comcast.net

Florida CIT Training Model

CIT is a community partnership between law enforcement agencies, the local mental health and substance abuse treatment systems, mental health advocacy groups, and consumers of mental health services and their families. CIT is more than just training. It establishes teams of trained officers within each law enforcement agency to respond effectively to people with mental illnesses, including those with co-occurring substance use disorders who are in crisis.

Communities that establish CIT programs do so with the following goals in mind:

• Better preparation of law enforcement officers to handle crises involving people with mental illnesses, including those with co-occurring substance use disorders.
  
• Increased law enforcement officer safety, consumer safety and overall community safety.
  
• Collaboratively, to make the mental health system more understandable, responsive and accessible to law enforcement officers to the greatest extent possible with community resources.
  
• To supply law enforcement officers with the resources to appropriately refer people in need of care to the mental health/substance abuse treatment system.
  
• Improved access to mental health/substance abuse treatment in general and crisis care in specific for people who are encountered by law enforcement.
  
• Diversion of people with a mental illness who are in crisis from the criminal justice system whenever possible, consistent with Florida’s Baker Act or Marchman Act.

As CIT has developed in different communities, local adaptations have been made to various elements of the program as each community has its own unique issues that might affect CIT implementation.  Rural communities are especially challenged in successfully adopting CIT because  rural law enforcement agencies are often small and cover extensive geographical regions. However, it is believed that CIT can be successfully implemented in both urban and rural communities.

To assure the integrity of the Memphis Model when implemented across the state, the Coalition created the Florida CIT Model based on the core principles of the Memphis Model.  The model  is designed to help guide those communities conducting a CIT program or those who wish to implement CIT.  It outlines the core elements considered necessary to have an effective CIT program that is recognized as a best practice.

Developing and implementing CIT based on the identified core elements is a process over time, often beginning with the 40-hour training. Also, in order to fully implement the Florida CIT model, both community involvement and a commitment by key stakeholders with a dedication of necessary resources is a must.  You may download a pdf version of the Florida Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program guide here.