Buddy up for SuccessPublic and Private Partnerships

What does it take to make a successful CIT Program?

Ever felt like this?

This is new school

• CIT emphasizes a partnership betweenlaw enforcement, the mental health, 911, deputies, mental health advocacy groups, and consumers of mental health services, their families, and private hospital.

911

Sherriff’s OfficeVirginia Beach Psychiatric

Mental HealthVBPD

• It is crucial that each party set aside any feelings of doubt and suspicion in order to reach a common goal.

• The consumer is the common goal

Virginia Beach

• Largest city in Virginia 435,000 pop• Large military presence• Tourists• Homeless• Urban and Agricultural• BEACHFRONT

A lot of hard work!!

• National Alliance on Mental Illness• Virginia Beach Mental Health Substance Abuse • Virginia Beach Police Department• Virginia Beach Psychiatric• Virginia Beach Sheriffs Office• Virginia Beach 911 Communications

First Things First

• Leadership Team• Coalition• Training• Your command staff, executives, and

department heads must be on board and willing to sacrifice manpower to complete training: Chief’s video

MOST WANTED

• VB Police Command Staff insisted on ability to transfer custody and allow police to return to the street

• Initially VA laws did not allow LE to hand off• Mental Health Law Reforms speeded up after

VA Tech killings• Many meetings with hospital directors to get

Assessment Center for transfer of custody

Building Community Buy-in

• Major Sam Cochran spoke at the first VB CIT Coalition Meeting

• Only invite movers and shakers to meetings• Choose people who can change policy and

procedures. Worker bees can’t.• Develop subcommittees who report to

Coalition

Results

• Applied for, and received Byrne Jag Grant awarded in 2008

• Sent LE and MH to 40 hour trainings around VA• Selected Core Faculty and developed our

curriculum • Since March 2009, VB has had five 40 hour

trainings, three Train-the-trainer classes and five 8 hour 911 Dispatchers trainings

Virginia Beach Psychiatric

• Partnership of private-for-profit with public agency requires trust and negotiations

• VBPC provides physical space for CIT Officer transfer of custody to a secure setting

• Assessment Center: Office for Emergency services clinicians

• Large assessment/conference room • Comfort room with loungers and TV• MOA: negotiations between private and public sectors

are more difficult.

911

• Involve 911 from the beginning• Make sure 911 is a separate department but

mirror CIT• Include 911 in initial training at leadership

level• Communication is key• VB 911 system gathers data for CIT calls

Deputies

• Involved in all training sessions• Complete tours of the jail and education for

training• Deputies and Police trainers work

collaboratively in 40 hour trainings

Police Department

• Commitment to make program work from the top down. Leadership Team met with Command Staff to explain CIT

• Communication with other parties key• Policies and Mental Health Field Guide rewritten• Strive for working relationships with Mental

Health, Sheriff’s Department, 911 and Virginia Beach Psychiatric

• Monthly meetings regarding successes and failures

Mental Health Substance Abuse

• Committed to have direct availability of a CIT designated Emergency Services clinician 24/7

• Manages JAG Byrne Grant • Coordinates Training, Leadership, Coalition , and

Committee meetings• Spearheaded the development of VB CIT Assessment

Center for transfer of custody from CIT Officer• Committed to partnership with law enforcement

Human Rights Award

• Virginia Beach CIT was honored with a Human Rights Award

March 2010