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LATEST NEWS

    • Nov 28, 2023

BJA's CRIT Curriculum: Free Training Resources for Law Enforcement

Updated: Apr 15



 

For law enforcement officers, responding to situations involving individuals with behavioral health conditions (including mental health and substance use) and developmental disabilities in a safe, effective manner can present significant challenges. Responding to demands for accessible, standardized, and high-quality training, the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) was developed by the Academic Training Initiative to Inform Police Responses, with the support of the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). CRIT is a 40-hour training curriculum designed to support law enforcement officers in their responses to individuals experiencing crises in their community.


Hosted by BJA’s Academic Training Initiative, this webinar provided an overview of the CRIT curriculum and its development, described the resources available to agencies through the online CRIT Toolkit, and discussed the implementation of CRIT in the field. We also described opportunities for agencies seeking support (i.e., funding, technical assistance) in the delivery of CRIT.


Speakers:

  1. Mike Hatch, Senior Program Manager, National Policing Institute

  2. Robin S. Engel, Senior Vice President, National Policing Institute

  3. Chan Noether, Director, Policy Research Associates

  4. Leigh Anne McKingsley, Senior Director, Disability and Justice Initiatives, The Arc of the United States

  5. Domingo Herraiz, Director, Programs, International Association of Chiefs of Police

  6. Brooke Mount, Senior Policy Advisor, Justice and Behavioral Health, Bureau of Justice Assistance

 

Webinar Recording




 

Webinar Slides



11.2.23 BJA's CRIT Curriculum Webinar-508
.pdf
Download PDF • 2.30MB

    • Dec 22, 2022

CRIT Module 2

Perceptions & Attitudes on Behavioral Health & Disabilities


Purpose

This module provides the opportunity for participants to consider common perceptions and attitudes related to people with behavioral health conditions (including mental health and substance use disorders) and disabilities and consider how those perceptions and attitudes may impact their interactions with these individuals. It presents information on the development of perceptions and attitudes and how they might be changed. It also introduces the topic of disability and highlights core values for officers to consider in their responses to people who experience a crisis in the community. In sum, the purpose of this module is to encourage participants to think about the diverse communities they respond to and interact with and emphasize the need for an open, understanding mind to best support these communities through crisis response.


Instructor

This module should be co-taught by a sworn law enforcement officer, mental health lead and/or disability lead, especially those with lived experience. The instructors need to have knowledge of this subject matter, the role of bias in human behavior, and have experience with crisis response. They should be a seasoned trainer, have a sound understanding of the community, and understand law enforcement culture. The instructors must be skilled at engagement with law enforcement participants.


Time 70 minutes


Learning Objectives

Upon completing this module, participants should be able to: ​

  1. Discuss commonly held beliefs that people may have toward people with behavioral health conditions and developmental disabilities;

  2. Explain where perceptions and attitudes come from and how they can perpetuate stigma and discrimination;

  3. Explain how to adapt perceptions and attitudes to promote effective crisis response; and

  4. Describe SAMHSA’s Recovery Values and the Developmental Disability Community’s Values and Culture.


Materials


Trainer’s Guide

2. Perceptions and Attitudes on BH and Disabilities
.pdf
Download PDF • 1.55MB

PowerPoint Presentation

2. Perceptions and Attitudes on Behavioral Health and Disabilities
.pptx
Download PPTX • 10.88MB



    • Dec 22, 2022

CRIT Module 3

Prioritizing Officer Mental Health, Wellness, & Resilience


Purpose

This module discusses topics related to officer mental health and wellness and provides training participants with strategies to support mental wellbeing throughout their career.


Instructor

This module should be taught by an officer with lived experience in overcoming challenges related to officer mental health and wellness. This could be an officer who is a peer or in a leadership role, depending on if the leader has demonstrated interest and guidance in this topic area or if it’s preferred to have this content delivered by a fellow officer. If possible, it is recommended to invite a representative from an agency wellness program or a licensed mental health practitioner with expertise in police officer mental wellness, as a co-instructor.

If an agency has a police officer peer support program, invite a representative to speak at the conclusion of the module and review available services and resources. This will reinforce strategies and services to overcoming challenges.


Time 50 minutes


Learning Objectives

Upon completing this module, participants should be able to: ​

  1. Describe how stress manifests itself in the body and how it displays in oneself and peers;

  2. Identify risk factors and recognize warning signs of officer suicide;

  3. Identify and use strategies for building officer resilience; and

  4. Access available officer mental health and wellness resources.


Materials


Trainer’s Guide

3. Prioritizing Officer MH Wellness and Resilience
.pdf
Download PDF • 1.86MB

PowerPoint Presentation

3. Prioritizing Officer MH Wellness and Resilience
.pptx
Download PPTX • 20.01MB


Additional Resources


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