SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police will be expanding their mental health training for troopers to get individuals they come into contact with the help they need. Beginning this month, Crisis Intervention Team training will be rolled out across the state. The program creates connections between law enforcement professionals, mental health providers, families, and advocates. The goal is to help officers better understand mental illness, which can help resolve a crisis situation with a lower risk of injury to either party, and to connect individuals with treatment. To date, 51 ISP officers have completed the 40-hour training program and 13 officers have completed the additional 24-hour Train-the-Trainer Course.
“Law enforcement officers are often still the first to respond to individuals with mental illness given the limits of crisis mental health services across the country,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP’s formalized 40-hour training includes intervention tactics and mental health education to ensure all our officers have the tools to help safely manage interactions with persons in mental health crisis.”
Mon - Fri: 06:00 AM - 10:00 AM
