Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) - Methods for Using Data to Inform Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide

Book excerpt: The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program has become a globally recognized model for safely and effectively assisting people with mental and substance use disorders who experience crises in the community. The CIT Model promotes strong community partnerships among law enforcement, behavioral health providers, people with mental and substance use disorders, along with their families and others. While law enforcement agencies have a central role in program development and ongoing operations, a continuum of crisis services available to citizens prior to police involvement is part of the model. These other community services (e.g., mobile crisis teams, crisis phone lines) are essential for avoiding criminal justice system involvement for those with behavioral health challenges ? a goal of CIT programs (Steadman & Morrissette, 2016). CIT is just one part of a robust continuum of behavioral health services for the whole community.