Lucas County is fortunate to have an active CIT program, and the Lucas County Trauma Informed Care Coalition is actively involved. The Crisis Intervention Team program is a 40 hour training that teaches law enforcement officers how to work effectively with individuals who are experiencing a crisis. These individuals may have developmental disabilities, mental health diagnoses, and substance abuse issues. The officers are educated about important signs and symptoms to watch for and learn de-escalation techniques. They are put through role-playing scenarios to give them practical knowledge for how to handle various situations they may encounter. Coalition trainers conduct a session to help the officers understand trauma and what it may look like when they are on the scene with a person who is affected by a traumatic experience.

Crisis Intervention Team training is not required by the state, but all of the precincts in Lucas County participate. This helps law enforcement connect the people they serve to the appropriate help they may need. Officers who have been through the training wear a CIT pin that allows people in need to understand that an officer on scene has the proper tools and knowledge to help in a mental health crisis. When a person calls 911, they can request a CIT officer and if one is in the vicinity, the dispatcher will send them.

Recently the CIT program was mentioned in the news after Maumee officers responded to a call for a man who was experiencing a mental health crisis. That story can be found at the following link: https://nbc24.com/news/local/maumee-police-show-positive-outcome-of-crisis-training-in-incident-with-armed-man