West Virginia
Crisis Intervention Team
Law enforcement, EMS, 911, Fire, Behavioral Health, Crisis Counselors and advocates
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs are community-based programs that bring together law enforcement, mental health professionals, mental health advocates, and other partners to improve community responses to mental health crises.
The CIT model is premised on the understanding that those in the community suffering from behavioral health crises are better served when first responders have specialized training and can rely on strong community based behavioral health partners to provide intervention and treatment.
CIT programs are proven to keep officers, those in crisis and community members safer while also ensuring that those in need gain access to appropriate care rather than getting arrested.
WV CIT is a network of regional and municipal CIT programs throughout the Mountain State that include law enforcement agencies, 911 centers, behavioral health providers, the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline and others who are committed to creating safer and supportive responses to those in crisis.
We are actively looking for partners across the state!
Who benefits from CIT?
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Reduces the reliance on police to respond to mental health crisis events.
Provides mental health advocacy and agency support to law enforcement agencies by helping with response to and referral for difficult mental health crisis calls.
Trains officers to safely de-escalate a mental health crisis situation and divert individuals to services, instead of jail.
Improves crisis system coordination, reducing the time that an officer has to spend with an individual in crisis and increasing their time on patrol.
Reduces the need for repeat calls for services by helping people with mental illness access mental health treatment and recovery supports instead.
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Creates strong partnerships between law enforcement, public mental health agencies to facilitate more effective advocacy for mental health services.
Leverages collaborations with community partners to better identify people with complex needs.
Creates opportunities to work upstream of problems by proactively reaching out to individuals at times other than only during times of crisis.
Identifies gaps in the crisis continuum while mobilizing a strong group of allies to lobby for needed services in a community.
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Creates safer contact between people in crisis and law enforcement while helping individuals access appropriate services and supports.
Raises community awareness about mental illness and provides opportunities to advocate for needed mental health services and support.
Reduces trauma experienced by individuals in crisis and their families by creating safer and more empathetic community crisis response.
Promotes wellness and recovery by keeping people out of the justice system, and connecting people to needed mental health services and support.
Reduces the stigma associated with mental health conditions by fostering safer interventions and reducing the role of law enforcement and the criminal justice system in crisis response.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Crisis Intervention Teams are community-based programs that bring together first responders, mental health professionals, substance use disorder professionals, advocates, people with lived experience, and other partners to improve the community's response to people in crisis.
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FCS's role in CIT is to support communities in developing their CIT programs by connecting them to needed training and other CIT leaders across the state. In addition, we work with partners to host the statewide WV CIT Summit each year, which provides an opportunity for education and networking. As a statewide provider of crisis helplines, we hope to help communities access the resources and expertise they need to build their CIT programs.
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Diversion via Training, Collaboration and Resources
CIT is about training, collaboration and resources. It is estimated that behavioral health and substance abuse crises comprise more than 20% of calls to which first responders are dispatched. First responders benefit from more training on responding, de-escalating, and transitioning individuals experiencing behavioral health and addiction crises to appropriate treatment services. CIT training gives first responders the necessary skills to divert those in need to services and away from the criminal justice system when appropriate, and enhanced community collaboration ensures that those in need receive proper care.
CIT also builds strong community collaborations between critical members of the community who can provide support, services and treatment to those in need. Frequent and action driven collaboration between community partners ensures that those working with crisis cases have greater awareness of available resources.
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There are over 3,000 CIT programs nationally. A few years ago, West Virginia had no CIT programs. Currently, more than 8 CIT programs are growing in the state (Wheeling, Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, Greenbrier, McDowell, Wyoming, and Berkley Counties, to name a few).
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CIT training prepares first responders to better distinguish crises of behavioral health and addiction from other situations. Additionally, training focuses on de-escalation skills and community resources, allowing first responders to divert individuals from the criminal justice system to services more effectively. Beyond classroom learning, CIT trainees visit area resources and participate in a series of role plays to practice de-escalation skills in pressurized situations. The training takes place over a 40-hour week.
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The CIT Summit is an opportunity for those interested in and working in CIT programs to learn and network. The 2024 Summit will bring speakers from around the country to highlight best practices in community crisis care, and will offer opportunities for those interested in improving crisis care to share ideas. This year's Summit will be held in Charleston at the Embassy Suites from July 29 to 31. Registration is still open for those wishing to attend. Please visit https://wvcit.com/summit for additional information.
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Community Leaders Interested in Improving Crisis Care
Federal, state, and local officials, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, advocates, mental health providers, substance use disorder professionals, persons with lived experience, criminal justice professionals, or anyone who is invested in learning more and wants to develop a better methodology for servicing a person in crisis and see an overall improvement in our criminal justice and behavioral health systems.
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People can learn more about CIT by visiting CITInternational.org.
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We encourage those interested in learning more about or starting CIT programs to attend the upcoming CIT Summit. They can also reach out to us at CIT@firstchoiceservices.org. We are happy to help support community efforts to build CIT programs. FCS can help by facilitating access to training, providing information, and connecting those interested with CIT champions and resources.
Contact Us
Email CIT@firstchoiceservices.org
Call 304-701-2858*
*Calls are answered Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm.
If you are in crisis, please contact 988.