Police rely on mental health training – Oxford Eagle

Crisis intervention techniques save lives

On December 19, 2023, Officer Roman Sones was on his lunch break when he heard a call come in over the radio about a possible suicide attempt in a downtown parking lot.

Although he was not a patrol officer, Souness realized he was nearby and headed toward the garage.

Using the skills she learned from the crisis intervention team training she received from Communicare, Sones spoke with the depressed person for about 20 minutes.

Eventually, the two walked from the top floor of the garage to an ambulance waiting on the first floor.

CIT training is offered to interested police officers in Oxford and Lafayette counties.

Crisis intervention teams are the result of a partnership between local law enforcement officers and a variety of agencies, including community mental health centers, primary health care providers, and behavioral health professionals.

These techniques can help law enforcement officers de-escalate potentially dangerous situations for people in crisis. Police officers learn how to work calmly and compassionately with people who may have mental health issues.

Communicare Executive Director Melody Madaris said both OPD and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department have been very cooperative and involved in the CIT training program. Training will be conducted approximately quarterly for 12 to 16 officers at a time.

“We start out with a huge amount of information about mental health so we can understand what this is like in real life,” she said. “They learn that if someone is acting strange, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re hiding something, they just have a mental health issue.”

The training provides an opportunity for officers to participate in a variety of scenarios based on real-life incidents and learn de-escalation skills. Police officers learn how to work calmly and compassionately with people who may have mental health issues.

Crisis intervention trained police officers respond to individuals in mental health crises, direct them to the appropriate location for treatment, and prevent individuals from being arrested or jailed due to symptoms of illness. Make sure you don’t do anything like that.

Last month, Thorns received the Lifesaver Award from OPD for his life-saving efforts, and the Mississippi Department of Mental Health also presented him with a Certificate of Appreciation for his extraordinary life-saving and decisive actions.

“That’s the heart of a first responder and that attitude of caring for people,” Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen said of Thorns. “He saw a need and he met it. And he met a need, he loved people, he gave them a chance, and they are still with us today because of his actions.”

Sones said he is grateful to Communicare for providing the CTI training class (a 40-hour course) and OPD for encouraging all officers to complete the training.

“When I first became a police officer in 2014, this type of training was not available,” he said.

“Because of CommuniCare’s hard work, the training they provide, and how much they reach out to the community, we’re able to not only intervene in the moment, but provide the treatment needed to actually make improvements. We also carry out follow-up to ensure this.”