Crisis Intervention Team: Officers Train On How To Respond To Mental Health Crises

The Crisis Intervention Team is a group of officers who have gone through 40 hours of training on how to interact with people in a mental health crisis. 

Crisis Intervention Team Commander Lt. Vanessa Herd said the Oklahoma City Police Department has more than 400 officers trained in these skills.

"They understand that this is a skill that officers need to have and something that we need as a department," Herd said.

These officers volunteer their time in order to become certified.

"So, they have propensity for patience um de-escalation and a lot of other skills that you need when someone is experiencing a crisis," Herd said.

More than 400 OCPD officers have trained, and there are 175 on the Crisis intervention Team.

"They do this every day. They already know what's needed and they understand that this is a skill that officers need to have," Herd said

Bonnie Campo, with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, said this is a partnership between them and law enforcement agencies across Oklahoma. 

Throughout the state, there are more than 2,000 officers trained and counting.

"We really consider this a partnership between law enforcement and their community to de-escalate any mental health situation," Campo said.

Another resource they are utilizing: iPads that can connect them with a mental health professional.

"It's a lot like telemedicine. When you open the app there are several options on there for our community partnerships," Lt. Herd said.

Ensuring they are ready for any and every call.

"Every single call, now that is not to say every single call involves a person who is living with a mental illness, but every single call requires some level of de-escalation. Because people don't call the police on the best day of their lives," Herd said.

OCPD has recently been awarded incentive pay for 200 officers who are a part of the Crisis Intervention Team. So far, they have 175 members. They also are hoping to expand and offer continual training for officers.