West Virginia
Crisis Intervention Team

Law enforcement, EMS, 911, Fire, Behavioral Health, Crisis Counselors and advocates

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs are community-based programs that bring together law enforcement, mental health professionals, mental health advocates, and other partners to improve community responses to mental health crises.

The CIT model is premised on the understanding that those in the community suffering from behavioral health crises are better served when first responders have specialized training and can rely on strong community based behavioral health partners to provide intervention and treatment. 

CIT programs are proven to keep officers, those in crisis and community members safer while also ensuring that those in need gain access to appropriate care rather than getting arrested.

WV CIT is a network of regional and municipal CIT programs throughout the Mountain State that include law enforcement agencies, 911 centers, behavioral health providers, the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline and others who are committed to creating safer and supportive responses to those in crisis.  

We are actively looking for partners across the state!

Who benefits from CIT?

    • Reduces the reliance on police to respond to mental health crisis events.

    • Provides mental health advocacy and agency support to law enforcement agencies by helping with response to and referral for difficult mental health crisis calls.

    • Trains officers to safely de-escalate a mental health crisis situation and divert individuals to services, instead of jail.

    • Improves crisis system coordination, reducing the time that an officer has to spend with an individual in crisis and increasing their time on patrol.

    • Reduces the need for repeat calls for services by helping people with mental illness access mental health treatment and recovery supports instead.

    • Creates strong partnerships between law enforcement, public mental health agencies to facilitate more effective advocacy for mental health services.

    • Leverages collaborations with community partners to better identify people with complex needs.

    • Creates opportunities to work upstream of problems by proactively reaching out to individuals at times other than only during times of crisis.

    • Identifies gaps in the crisis continuum while mobilizing a strong group of allies to lobby for needed services in a community.

    • Creates safer contact between people in crisis and law enforcement while helping individuals access appropriate services and supports.

    • Raises community awareness about mental illness and provides opportunities to advocate for needed mental health services and support.

    • Reduces trauma experienced by individuals in crisis and their families by creating safer and more empathetic community crisis response.

    • Promotes wellness and recovery by keeping people out of the justice system, and connecting people to needed mental health services and support.

    • Reduces the stigma associated with mental health conditions by fostering safer interventions and reducing the role of law enforcement and the criminal justice system in crisis response.