Crisis Intervention Team celebrates graduates
CIT graduates: Anderson County EMS: Freddy Cousino, Rebecca Pace and Matthew Wilson; Anderson County Sheriff’s Office: Lacresha Logan; Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office: Bailey Deane and Christopher Wamsher; Clinton Police Department: Aubrey Chapman and Austin Powell; Covenant Health: Sean Brown and Bradley Swaffer; Oak Ridge Police Department: Shayne Herberger, Tristen Terry, and George Wilde; Roane County Sheriff’s Office: Keith Emmert; Khristian Kirkland, Gerardo Martinez-Saldivar. Gregory Sims and Aaron Tuggle; U.S. Probation: Mandy Palmiter; Ridgeview: Elizabeth Collins.
The graduates represented a wide range of departments and agencies: Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department, Covenant Health, Oak Ridge Police Department, Roane County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, and U.S. Probation/Parole.
CIT is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention with community, health care, and advocacy partnerships. CIT provides 40 hours of specialized training for problem solving and de-escalating crisis situations with individuals who have a mental illness. Studies show it also improves the safety of patrol officers, mental health consumers, family members, and citizens within the community.
The East Tennessee CIT Task Force is a partnership between the Oak Ridge Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Norris Police Department, Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, NAMI Oak Ridge, Department of Children’s Services, and other community health advocates. To date, more than 340 law enforcement and emergency services personnel have received training.
Representative Monty Fritts, 32nd District of the Tennessee House, who observed a portion of the training offered, “I appreciate this valuable training for the men and women who serve in our law enforcement and emergency services. Keeping Tennessee the best place to live and work requires us to invest in these brave Tennesseans.”
Officer Aubrey Chapman with Clinton City Police Department reflected before the graduation ceremony, “I can see the benefit of using the skills on every call, it’s that important.”
Rebecca Pace, Anderson County EMS said, “One can never underestimate the importance of extending compassion and understanding when people are in a mental health crisis.”
While Sean Brown, Facility Commander with Methodist Medical Center, shared “Techniques that are taught here are instrumental in helping us deescalate a person in crisis.”
The next training is scheduled to take place in Roane County the week of April 24-28.