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Incorporating Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Knowledge and Skills into the Daily Work of Police Officers: A Focus Group Study

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Abstract

This qualitative focus group study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for police officers. Thematic analysis of transcripts of focus group discussions revealed that officers report increased knowledge of mental illnesses (which manifests as an improved ability to recognize and respond, reduced stereotyping/stigmatization, greater empathy toward consumers and their caregivers, more patience when dealing with consumers, and fewer arrests/more redirection toward treatment), as well as practical application of learned skills (evidenced by an ability to put individuals with mental illnesses at ease, reduced unpredictability of the crisis situation, and reduced risk of injury). Results highlight the potential for collaboration between law enforcement (and other public safety/criminal justice professions) and the mental health professions in the expanding CIT collaborative model.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express sincere gratitude to a number of individuals who made this study successful: Rob Godsall, Ph.D. and Josh Spitalnick, Ph.D. (the focus group mediators); Liz Turner and Janet Oliva, Ph.D. (the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the statewide Georgia CIT program); Trudy Boyce and Charlene Heard (CIT-certified officers who facilitated the coordination of focus groups); and each of the 25 officers taking part in this study. This study was supported by funds from a federal Children’s Justice Act grant administered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Sonya Hanafi, Masuma Bahora & Michael T. Compton

  2. Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Berivan N. Demir

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 49 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, S.E., Room #333, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA

    Michael T. Compton

Authors
  1. Sonya Hanafi
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  2. Masuma Bahora
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  3. Berivan N. Demir
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  4. Michael T. Compton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael T. Compton.

Additional information

Prior Presentations: The results of this study were presented as a poster at the Second National Crisis Intervention Team Conference in Orlando, Florida, in September 2006.

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Hanafi, S., Bahora, M., Demir, B.N. et al. Incorporating Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Knowledge and Skills into the Daily Work of Police Officers: A Focus Group Study. Community Ment Health J 44, 427–432 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-008-9145-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-008-9145-8

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