CIT Northwest Ohio was created in 2020 by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Mental Health and Recovery Services Boards of the six counties. CIT NW Ohio provides CIT training to first responders, hospitals, mental health clinicians, education personnel, security staff and others. CIT training was developed in order to train first responders to effectively deal with persons they encounter who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
CIT training consists of effective communication skills, de-escalation techniques, mental health diagnosis recognition, mental health medications, trauma in children, excited delirium, poverty and cultural differences, legal issues, veterans services, community resources, developmental disabilities and other topics.
The goal of CIT training is to teach first responders different approaches to calls they receive daily and to divert those in need away from prisons or jail and into treatment. In other words, CIT training provides a set of skills to effectively deal with highly volatile, potentially dangerous situations using an alternative method. CIT training also explains how their role fits into the overall crisis care system.
CIT training and/or de-escalation is not appropriate nor is it effective in all situations.