AR23: Resolution Text

LRB-4244/1

SRM:kjf:jf

2011 - 2012 LEGISLATURE

2011 Assembly RESOLUTION 23

March 9, 2012 - Introduced by Representatives Pasch and Bernard Schaber. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AR23,1,1 Relating to: honoring the Crisis Intervention Team program.

AR23,1,4 Whereas, the first Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program was developed in 1988 in Memphis in response to a tragic incident involving an individual experiencing a mental health crisis; and

AR23,1,8 Whereas, CIT programs are based on training police departments with the necessary skills and understanding to identify and provide the most effective and compassionate response possible to situations involving people in mental health crisis; and

AR23,1,12 Whereas, by participating in CIT programs, police departments nationwide have experienced less need for the use of lethal force, less officer injuries, less injuries to individuals in mental health crisis, and a decrease in involuntary commitments; and

AR23,1,15 Whereas, Milwaukee and Appleton area police officers joined forces with their local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapters and numerous community mental health experts to learn how to defuse such situations; and

AR23,2,3 Whereas, during CIT training mental health experts teach police officers how to recognize a diverse range of mental illnesses and react appropriately to each unique situation; and

AR23,2,6 Whereas, due to the CIT training that they received, law enforcement officers have deescalated countless situations involving individuals with mental illnesses, preventing injury and saving the lives of many; and

AR23,2,11 Whereas, because of the success of the CIT program, NAMI of Greater Milwaukee developed the Crisis Intervention Partner (CIP), a shorter version of the program that is offered to anyone working with individuals with mental illnesses, including social workers, teachers, emergency room technicians, and correctional officers; and

AR23,2,14 Whereas, the CIT program encourages communities and police departments to come together for the common goals of safety, understanding, and service to individuals with mental illnesses and their families; and

AR23,2,17 Whereas, by offering an immediate, calm approach, CIT reduces the likelihood of physical confrontations and creates an opportunity to provide better patient care, which often leads to increased treatment continuity with community providers; and

AR23,2,20 Whereas, the implementation and success of CIT programs indicate a shifting in law enforcement from traditional police responses to a more safe and respectful treatment of individuals experiencing mental health crisis; and

AR23,2,23 Whereas, hundreds of police officers across our state have been trained in crisis intervention and our communities as a whole have greatly benefitted from these programs since their inception; now, therefore, be it

AR23,3,2 Resolved by the assembly, That the assembly honors the Crisis Intervention Team program for its invaluable training and for providing our brave police officers with the skills and knowledge they need to safely approach situations in which individuals are experiencing mental health crisis.

AR23,3,3 (End)