Public Comment Wanted on New Cleveland Crisis Intervention Team Policies

CLEVELAND, OH - The public has a chance to comment on new Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) policies developed by the Cleveland Division of Police in cooperation with the Consent Decree Monitoring Team.

“The Crisis Intervention Team Policies are a major component for the City in implementing the Consent Decree,” said Mayor Frank Jackson. “These new policies will continue to create the conditions that foster positive interactions between our police and the communities they serve.”

The new policies are broken into three categories: crisis intervention definition, crisis intervention response, and crisis intervention team program.

The definition guide literally outlines the terminology that should be used to describe various scenarios and the response to those scenarios. For example, the policies define crisis as "A situation where an individual’s safety and health are threatened by behavioral health challenges,to include mental illness, developmental disabilities, substance use , or overwhelming stressors."

“These Crisis Intervention Team policies solidify our community’s goal of making Cleveland a city where everyone – including people living with mental illness and addiction - is treated safely with dignity and respect,” stated William M. Denihan, CEO of the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County.

The response guide says that officers should respond to people in crisis with heightened sensitivity. Namely, police need to attempt to de-escalate any situation they find themselves in. If possible, dispatch should send specially trained crisis intervention officers to the scene. Police on-scene should request EMS if medical attention is needed, treat each situation as unique, and consider the extenuating circumstances that could be impacting the person's behavior.

Finally, the team program policy outlines the collaboration between Cleveland police and other organizations and the training to be provided to officers.

You can see the full policies and make comments here.

“The Cleveland Division of Police and the community led Mental Health Response Advisory Committee have produced a crisis intervention policy that will serve as a model for other cities,” said Monitoring Team member and crisis intervention expert Dr. Randolph Dupont. “Cleveland has a right to be proud of this work.”

A public meeting to discuss the proposed policies will be held on December 13, 2016 at two locations and at separate times.

• The first public meeting is December 13th, 1:00 p.m. at the Murtis Taylor Human Services System, 13422 Kinsman Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44120
• The second public meeting is December 13th, 6:00 p.m. at the Urban Community School, 4909 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44102

The Department of Justice, the Mental Health Response Advisory Committee which work with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County and the United States Attorney’s Office also worked on the new policies.

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