Growing CIT With State Government Support: Lessons From The Connecticut CIT Program Loel W. Meckel, LCSW Assistant Director Division of Forensic Services.

Growing CIT With State Government Support: Lessons From The Connecticut CIT Program

Loel W. Meckel, LCSWAssistant DirectorDivision of Forensic ServicesConnecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services [email protected]

Today’s Objectives

• Understand why and how state government would support development of CIT• Be able to make a compelling case to state

government for collaboration and financial support to develop CIT• Be able to engage your local mental health

agency and other providers in supporting development of CIT

Who Are You?

• Law Enforcement• Advocates for people with mental illness• Family• Mental Health • Local Government• County/State Government• Other

Today’s Outline

• Story of CIT in Connecticut• Your State• Define short term and long-term goals• Identify resources required• Identify stakeholders• Identify concerns of stakeholders• Identify benefits of CIT • Match concerns of stakeholders to benefits• Develop a plan for your state expansion

Story of CIT in Connecticut

Connecticut

• Small state• No County/Regional government• No County/Regional law enforcement• Police are local and state, no Sheriffs • State operates all criminal courts • State operates all jails and prisons• State administers mental health svcs

CIT Expansion In CT

• 1988 - CIT started in Memphis, TN

• 2000 - New London, CT Police travel to Memphis for CIT training

• 1999-2001- CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement begins research on training

• 2001 - Capt. Ken Edwards meets CABLE

• 2002 – CT Criminal Law Foundation, NL PD and CABLE join together

CIT Expansion In CT

• 2003 - CT NAMI introduces CABLE to DMHAS

• 2003 – First CT CIT training; observed by DMHAS Forensic Manager

• 2003 – Capt. Edwards invited to speak at NAMI-CT Conference

• 2003 – NAMI affiliates in Eastern CT obtain private donations, help recruit PDs

CIT Expansion In CT

• 2004 – Second CIT training; Funded by CABLE and donations to NAMI affiliates

• 2004 – DMHAS awarded US DOJ funds for CIT expansion; 25% state match

• 2004 – DMHAS contracts with CABLE for CIT training

• 2004/5 – DMHAS funds training and hires CIT clinicians for 3 large cities and PDs.

CIT Expansion In CT

• 2005-2006 – More PDs send officers to CIT training• 2007 - Federal funds end, State replaces

and expands funding • 2008 – Increase trainings/year and more

DMHAS CIT clinicians hired• 2013 – state funding has continued despite

recession

Police in CT

• Municipal Police Officers 6,700• State Police Officers 1,100• Others ?

• Total 7,800 +

DMHAS-funded Training

CT 5-Day CIT Training

• 1,278 Police officers have attended• Local Police Departments• State Police • University/College Police• Hospital Police• US Coast Guard Police• US Dept. Veterans Affairs Campus Police• State Capital Police• Casino Police

CT 5-Day CIT Training

• 278 Others have attended• Civilian police employees• Mental health clinicians• Probation Officers• Parole Officers• State Judicial Marshals• EMS/Fire Dept employees• FBI Agents• U.S. Marshals

CT Police Departments

•92 Municipal Police Departments• Largest approximately 450 officers

•81 Towns served by State Police• 56 Have Resident State Troopers (115)

38 Municipal PDs have a CIT policy44 PD have started training, no policy

State Role - DMHAS

• Access federal grant funds

• Obtain Governor’s and Legislature’s

support for state funding

• Coordinate response from Local Mental

Health Authority (LMHA) system

• Promote CIT benefits and

accomplishments at state level

CIT In CT 2013

• DMHAS Provides Funding• Overtime coverage for Officers who

attend CIT training (for PDs with CIT policy)• CABLE – CIT training, outreach and

support to PDs, annual symposium• NAMI-CT - outreach and support to

service providers, publish CIT newsletter

Mental Health Response

• Regional drop-off sites are not an option• Need a local response to Police• DMHAS-funded CIT clinicians in 6

metro areas • DMHAS-funded LMHA Mobile Crisis

Team clinicians can respond to police in other communities• Local Hospital ED staff are included in

CIT implementation

CIT Clinicians

• DMHAS CIT Clinicians• CIT-trained, embedded in MCT• Agency specialists in Police collaboration• Paired with Police CIT coordinator• Training and Consultation to Police• Follow-up with subjects and

service providers after police contact• Occasional on-site assistance to Officers at

scene

Your State• Define short term and long-term goals• Identify resources required• Identify stakeholders• Identify concerns of stakeholders• Identify benefits of CIT • Match concerns of stakeholders

to benefits• Develop a plan for your state expansion

Thinking Caps

Develop Your State Plan

Remember this …Your State Leaders Want The

Benefits Of CIT

Your Job Is To Show That CIT Addresses Their Concerns

Define Goals

• Short term – Describe the status of CIT in your state in two years

• Long-term – Describe the status of CIT in your state in five to ten years

Resources

• Identify resources required for your goal • Collaboration • Funding • Training • Support• Others ________________

• Identify the resources that you have • Identify the resources that you need

Thinking Cap #2

Who are the stakeholders?

Anyone who spends:•Money • Time• Energy

On people with psychiatric disorders in contact with police

Stakeholders

• Subjects of police contacts• Law Enforcement • Jails (usually local or county) - not

convicted or convicted with short sentence• Prisons (state) – convicted with long

sentence

Stakeholders

• Criminal court• Families and advocates• Agencies that provide services• Hospitals• Elected officials• Policy and Budget officials• Others _________________

Stakeholder Buy-in

Why would a stakeholder

support CIT?• See potential for more good stuff

• See potential for less bad stuff

• Messenger and message are believable

• Requested support is manageable

Stakeholder Concerns

• Save money !!!!!• Favorable publicity• Reduce injuries• Avoid shootings• Prestige• Professional pride• Reduce incarceration• Reduce arrests

Stakeholder Concerns

• Demonstrate effective governance• Improve community relations• Attract federal grants• Reduce court docket volume• Connect people to services• Avoid expensive hospital admissions• Other __________________

Identify CIT Benefits

• Less need for the use of lethal force• Reduced Officer injuries• Reduced citizen injuries• Reduced SWAT/ERT call outs• Reduced time “off patrol”• Reduced civil litigation• Reduced ER/hospital admissions• Reduced incarceration

Identify CIT Benefits

• Reduced Arrests• Improved community relations• Demonstrates effective government• Attract federal grant funding to your state• Prestige/Pride for involved professionals• Favorable publicity for officials• Connect people with MI to services

Match Concerns of Stakeholders to Benefits of CIT

• Determine what resources each stakeholder may be able to provide• Identify the most important concerns for

each stakeholder• Craft your request around how CIT will

save Money, Time, Energy for the stakeholder

Develop Your Plan