OPS 0702 Crisis Intervention Team
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish operational guidelines for responding to persons experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis, as well as guidelines for use of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). This policy shall apply to all trained personnel with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Summary
To enhance safety and quality of life in the community, The Harford County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the need to bring community resources together to target behavioral health issues. According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), law enforcement agencies have partnered with mental health and community partners to develop more compassionate and cost-effective approaches that emphasize providing community–based treatment instead of arrest and incarceration for adults and juveniles with mental illness. The primary goal of the CIT program is to have law enforcement, correctional, and civilian employees with specialized training available to assist individuals in mental health crisis. The primary method of accomplishing this goal is to identify the needs of the individual in crisis and make appropriate referrals to that individual. If it appears to be in the best interest of the community and the individual in crisis, CIT intervention should be considered as an alternative to arresting the individual (assuming law or policy does not mandate an arrest). Adhering to these procedures should further the Agency’s goal of reducing the number of mentally ill individuals entering the criminal justice system. This policy was developed in collaboration with mental health professionals.
