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Maine CIT program
expands to correctional facilities
(June 2008
Issue)
By Jennifer Chase Esposito
Nearly four years since New England Psychologist's first
profile, Maine's Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program continues
as a healthy exercise in collaboration, as law enforcement officers
learn tools and tactics to head-off potentially explosive situations
with the people with mental illness with whom they come in contact.
Having changed very little from the original model launched in
2002 thanks to a partnership between Maine's chapter of the National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI); Ingraham, a local crisis hotline
provider; Spring Harbor Hospital, and the Portland Police Department,
the curriculum includes a 40-hour training program that has now
certified nearly 500 men and women in more than 70 state agencies.
The training includes an overview of psychiatric illnesses, including
their effect on a person's behavior, as well as discussions with
mental healthcare consumers about the importance of responding respectfully
and safely to individuals experiencing a psychiatric emergency.
NAMI-Maine wrote the initial grant launching the program but the
effort wouldn't have formulated without all above agencies participating.
Back in 2002, within six months of being trained by the folks who
created the inaugural CIT program in Memphis, Tenn., Maine's program
was complete.
Sergeant Robin Gauvin, a 25-year officer with Portland's police
department, was responsible for implementing the curriculum within
his department. More than 70 Portland officers are now certified.
There are more than 90 statewide.
Today, NAMI-Maine has continued working with law enforcement officials
in New Hampshire and presented at the 2006 SAMHSA National Conference
on informing other states about CIT. And in Maine, the program
has expanded into the state's correctional facilities.
"We received funding to expand in 2005 and have now certified staff
in 14 county and three state facilities," says Bob Tiner, criminal
justice manager for NAMI-Maine. "CIT has also expanded to dispatch/communications
staff, fire and EMS, hospital security and college/university police."
Tiner came to NAMI-Maine in September 2007 from Waldo County Sheriff's
Office where he was the jail administrator and has been involved
with CIT since 2003 when he attended the training himself. Tiner
helped bring CIT to his department as a corrections program after
seeing its value as a law enforcement program for police officers.
At the time, Waldo was the first state agency to have CIT in the
county jail. Tiner continued to stay involved in CIT and assisted
NAMI in promoting the program statewide to other agencies.
"As a jail administrator, I have witnessed a decline in use-of-force
incidents as a result of implementing CIT," he says. "My belief
in the program's value led me to join NAMI as a full-time employee."
Six years later, Tiner says that the response to CIT has been overwhelming.
Having received positive feedback from all involved, CIT is recognized
statewide as an effective jail diversion program. NAMI-Maine received
the 2007 SAMHSA "Science to Service Award" for the program.
"CIT is more than just training," says Tiner. "It is about building
relationships between law enforcement and community providers. It's
about showing compassion towards those with mental illness and
those in crisis."
NAMI asked The Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research
(CHPPR) at the University of New England to do a study of the expansion
project into the corrections system. That report is now complete.
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