CIT Program

WHAT IS C.I.T.?

A CIT, or Crisis Intervention Team is an innovative program of police-based crisis intervention involving community health care and advocacy partnerships based on a nationally recognized model developed by the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department.
Under this model, police officers receive extensive training provided by community mental health professionals, family and consumer advocates and experts in related fields in responding to citizens experiencing a behavioral crisis.

The emphasis is on mental health knowledge, crisis resolution skills and access to community services.
After implementation of this program, communities have reported significant reductions in police officer and mental health consumer injuries as well as decreased numbers of arrests and increased health care referrals.
Also reported, have been dramatic reductions in the need for intensive police interventions such as SERT because the C.I.T. trained officers are able to arrive and effectively de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.

C.I.T. helps to enable citizens, police, county crisis teams, the mental health care system, and the criminal justice system to work together effectively and promote more appropriate responses to individuals who have mental illness that become justice-involved.

In October 2006, a team consisting of officer's from the City of Johnstown Police, Richland Township Police Department's, representatives of NAMI of Cambria County, Cambria County's MH/MR Mobile Crisis Unit, and the Department of Behavioral Medicine- Memorial Medical Center attended a week long 40 hour training program at The Memphis Police Academy, Memphis Tennessee.

Three area police officers were part of the group and are the first certified C.I.T. Officers in The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
They are Officers Reginald Floyd and Dan Marguccio of the Johnstown Police Department and Detective Kevin Gaudlip of the Richland Township Police Department.

The group returned to develop the curriculum for a C.I.T. Program to be implemented in Cambria County and the surrounding region.
The seven member team, along with professionals from selected fields will instruct and educate police officers in the area on the skills learned to assist individuals with mental illness in a crisis situation.

On April 20, 2007 the Laurel Highlands Police CIT Program graduated the first Class at the Greater Johnstown Regional Police Academy (Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center).
28 Officers from two counties, Cambria and Somerset, 16 Police Dept's, Cambria 911 Center and Conemaugh Hospital Security became the first Certified CIT Officers in the State of Pennsylvania under the Memphis Police CIT Model
The Second Class consisitng of 7 police depts., Hospital Security and a Magistrial District Judge completed the training on November 9, 2007.
With the additon of 2 more JPD Officers, 10 JPD Officer's are now Certified in CIT. Classes are being planned for the near future and will be posted when a date is available.

The City of Johnstown, who is a major stakeholder in the CIT Program currently has 11 CIT personnel. Chief Foust has been a major factor in bringing and developing the CIT Program in our area.
Visit the Laurel Highlands Region CIT web site by Clicking Here

To find out more about the Memphis C.I.T. Model Click Here.

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