Area law-enforcement officers are undergoing intensive training at the Boone County Sheriff’s Office to learn how to better successfully manage a crisis involving individuals with mental health, substance abuse and other issues.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is an innovative first-responder model of law enforcement- based on crisis intervention with community, healthcare and advocacy partnerships.

CIT training is a 40-hour POST approved training course focusing on training law enforcement in the basic assessment skills for effectively handling incidents involving subjects in mental health or emotional crisis. CIT training improves the safety of law enforcement, consumers, family members and citizens within the community.

CIT reduces both stigma and the need for further involvement with the criminal justice system. CIT provides a forum for effective problem solving regarding the interaction between the criminal justice and mental healthcare system. It can create the context for sustainable change.

At 1 p.m. on Friday, May 28, authorities will go through mock scenarios where law-enforcement officers will interact and utilize skills from this week’s CIT training. These mock scenarios will be held at the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Annex, which is located behind the Boone County Jail.