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 has:
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Developed, implemented, and evaluated a national training on crisis response for law enforcement
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​Provided technical assistance (TA) to support communities in their development, enhancement, and implementation of crisis response programs
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Developed best practice guides and new resources to inform police responses to individuals with BH conditions and IDD
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Developed 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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Developed the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT)
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Pilot-tested the training within multiple law enforcement agencies in 2022
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Evaluated training effectiveness within law enforcement agencies
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Delivered customized TA to law enforcement agencies
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Facilitated peer-to-peer learning for TA sites
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Developed a comprehensive review of research on police, BH, disability, and community responses to BH and IDD-related crisis incidents
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Created written resources to guide police responses to individuals with BH conditions and IDD
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Hosted webinars presenting information on topics related to crisis response
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Created CRIT e-learning modules to increase availability/accessibility of training
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Translated 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 that 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.