RT Article
T1 Mental Health Crisis Location and Police Transportation Decisions: the Impact of Crisis Intervention Team Training on Crisis Center Utilization
JF Journal of contemporary criminal justice
VO 35
IS 2
SP 241
OP 260
A1 Comartin, Erin B.
A2 Kubiak, Sheryl
A2 Swanson, Leonard
LA English
YR 2019
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1740787102
AB Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) research has shown increases in officer transports of individuals with serious mental illness to emergency departments (ED) which, while more appropriate than incarceration, can be expensive and lack linkage to long-term mental health services. Mental health crisis centers offer a promising alternative, but impact may be limited by proximal distance and lack of officer awareness. To address this concern, this study asked, “Does CIT training affect officer transport decisions to a crisis center over a nearby ED?” Researchers analyzed crisis call reports in a Midwestern county and found increased use of the crisis center and decreased use of EDs by officers after CIT was implemented. The crisis location affected officer transport decisions, yet CIT officers were more likely than non-CIT officers to travel farther for appropriate linkage. Findings suggest CIT changes officer behavior, which could potentially lead to long-term, low-cost treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses when there is a mental health crisis center.
K1 Crisis location
K1 Crisis Intervention Team
K1 Officer training
K1 Officer decisions
K1 Mental health
K1 Crisis center
DO 10.1177/1043986219836595