Mental Health Awareness & Response: An Intro to CIT

Registration Deadline: January 17, 2026

This course has been approved by ILETSB for the following mandates:

Civil Rights - .50
Constitutional Use of L.E. Authority - .50 
Crisis Intervention - 2.50
Human Rights - .50
Legal Updates - .50
Officer wellness/mental health – 1.0
Procedural Justice – 1.0
De-escalation techniques – 1.0
Officer safety techniques, including cover, concealment, and time - .50  

This class meets the Mental Health Awareness training mandate. Effective Jan 1, 2018, HB 375 mandates Mental Health Awareness training for law enforcement on every three-year cycle.

COURSE CONTENT: Law enforcement officers have an important role to play in their interactions with community members. This means responding to incidents with individuals who have mental health issues, including diagnosed mental illness. This 8-hour course is meant to provide law enforcement officers with an awareness of mental health issues including a history of the mental health system, types of mental illness, signs and symptoms, common treatments and medications, and the potential interactions law enforcement may have on a regular basis with these individuals, their families, and service providers.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
Recognize the history of the mental health system and its impact on law enforcement and the rest of the criminal justice system.
Define mental illness
•    Differentiate myths and facts associated with mental illness, including common misperceptions
•    Examine the stigma associated with mental illness

Identify common forms of mental illness likely to be encountered including symptoms and behaviors of each
•    Recognize the implications of co-occurring disorders (i.e. substance abuse and mental illness) on police encounters
•    Examine the components of a crisis
•    Discuss the prevalence of suicide, risk assessment, and response

Differentiate treatment modalities for mental illness
•    Recognize treatment options that assist individuals in life independently
•    Demonstrate understanding different types of medications

Increase awareness of appropriate law enforcement interaction with individuals who have mental illness
•    Critical Decision-Making Model Introduction
•    Tactical Communications Overview
•    Operational Safety Tactics Overview
 

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC MEETING