Academic Training to Inform Police Responses
A National Initiative to Enhance Police Engagement with People with Behavioral Health Conditions and Developmental Disabilities
Initiative Overview
For law enforcement officers, responding to situations involving individuals with behavioral health (BH) conditions (including mental health and substance use), intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in a safe, effective manner can often present a significant challenge.
Led by the University of Cincinnati, the Academic Training Initiative brings together experts in law enforcement, behavioral health, disabilities, curriculum development, and evaluation to raise awareness in the law enforcement community about the nature and needs of persons with behavioral health (BH) conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to facilitate the use of evidence-informed and best practices in crisis response.
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More information on the Academic Training Initiative can be found here.
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The Academic Training to Inform Police Responses Goals
Raise awareness in the policing community about the nature and needs of people with BH conditions and IDD
Provide training and resources on BH, IDD, and crisis response
Support the use of evidence-informed, best practices in these responses.
Initiative Design & Implementation
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To enhance police response to people with behavioral health conditions and developmental disabilities, our team will:
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Develop, implement, and evaluate a national training on crisis response for law enforcement
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​Provide technical assistance (TA) to support communities in their development, enhancement, and implementation of crisis response programs
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Develop best practice guides and new resources to inform police responses to individuals with BH conditions and IDD
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Develop technology solutions to increase the accessibility of training and technical assistance (TTA) and encourage the use of evidence-informed practices for crisis response​
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Develop the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT)
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Pilot-test training within multiple law enforcement agencies in 2022
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Evaluate training effectiveness within law enforcement agencies
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Deliver customized TA to law enforcement agencies
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Facilitate peer-to-peer learning for TA sites
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Develop a comprehensive review of research on police, BH, disability, and community responses to BH and IDD-related crisis incidents
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Create written resources to guide police responses to individuals with BH conditions and IDD
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Host webinars presenting information on topics related to crisis response
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Create CRIT e-learning modules to increase availability/accessibility of training
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Translate resources on crisis response into a virtual/e-learning format
Academic Training News
Our recent pilot delivery of the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) in Corvallis, OR was featured in the local news.
CRIT is a 40-hour training program designed to prepare police officers in their response to people experiencing crises related to behavioral health (BH) conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Shreveport, LA, a pilot site of the Academic Training to Inform Police Responses, was recently featured in the news. The news segment highlights the work of the City of Shreveport is doing in coordination with Shreveport Police Department, Shreveport Fire Department, and LSU Health, to improve their crisis response efforts for people experiencing crises related to behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Check out the article and associated videos to learn more about Shreveport’s reform efforts and the city’s coordination with the Academic Training to Inform Police Responses.