What is Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and its purpose?

• A. Training for responding to mental health crises with safety, empathy, de-escalation, and service referrals
• B. Training for physical fitness
• C. Training for crowd control
• D. Training for undercover operations

Answer: (A)

Crisis Intervention Team training focuses on how officers respond to people in mental health crises with safety, empathy, de-escalation, and connections to services. It teaches recognizing crisis signs, using calm, nonjudgmental communication, and applying de-escalation techniques to reduce the potential for force. The training also covers assessing danger, deciding when backup or medical/mental health professionals are needed, and linking individuals to treatment and community resources rather than defaulting to incarceration. The aim is to resolve crises safely for everyone involved, protect both the individual and officers, and improve long-term outcomes by guiding people to appropriate care. This is distinct from areas like physical fitness, crowd control, or undercover operations, which focus on different duties and do not center crisis response and service referrals.