WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County has expanded its Crisis Intervention Team training program to include specialized courses focused on youth and military veterans, broadening efforts to equip law enforcement and first responders to respond to behavioral health crises and connect individuals with treatment rather than the criminal justice system.
The county’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Crisis Intervention Team for Youth (CIT-Y) and Veterans Response Team (VRT) programs are administered through partnerships among the Department of Human Services, the courts, law enforcement agencies and other county departments.
County officials said the expanded training is intended to help officers recognize the distinct needs of adults, adolescents and veterans experiencing mental health or behavioral health emergencies.
“By preparing officers to engage with adults, youth, and veterans in ways that recognize their unique needs, we can divert those individuals from the criminal justice system and connect them to resources,” the Chester County Commissioners stated in a joint statement.
The county’s 40-hour CIT program, now in its ninth year, has graduated more than 400 participants. Officers from 31 municipal police departments have completed the training, along with corrections officers, sheriff’s deputies, park rangers, probation personnel, Veterans Affairs staff and Chester County 9-1-1 Center employees.
Earlier this year, Chester County piloted the Crisis Intervention Team for Youth program after being selected as one of six counties nationwide by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The program brings together law enforcement officers, educators, first responders and community providers to study adolescent brain development, recognize mental health symptoms and improve strategies for connecting young people with behavioral health services.
The county also launched its first Veterans Response Team training in June. The program brings together law enforcement officers with military experience and organizations serving veterans to improve crisis response and facilitate access to services for veterans and their families. The next Veterans Response Team session is scheduled for November.
Department of Human Services Director Pat Bokovitz indicated that the programs recognize that behavioral health crises require individualized responses focused on connecting people with appropriate care.
“Our goal is to ensure that people experiencing a mental health crisis are met with understanding and connected to the care and support they need,” Bokovitz stated.
In addition to the multi-day programs, Chester County offers one-day crisis intervention training for emergency medical technicians and 9-1-1 dispatchers.
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