Assessing Law Enforcement Officer Skills in Crisis Intervention Team Research
Author Information
Author(s): Amy C. Watson, Elisabeth Jackson, En Fu, Ron Bruno, Erin Comartin, Don Kamin, Leah G. Pope, Eduardo Vega, Michael T. Compton
Primary Institution: Wayne State University, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Crisis Response Programs and Training, Inc., Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Humannovations
Hypothesis
How can standardized scenarios be developed to assess the efficacy of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for law enforcement officers?
Conclusion
The study successfully developed nine standardized scenarios to evaluate the skills of law enforcement officers in responding to mental health crises.
Supporting Evidence
- Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training improves officer knowledge and attitudes.
- CIT training is linked to better decision-making in mental health encounters.
- Standardized scenarios provide a controlled environment for assessing officer skills.
Takeaway
This study created practice situations for police officers to help them learn how to handle mental health emergencies better.
Methodology
The study used a multi-site, randomized, controlled trial design with standardized role-play scenarios to measure officers' skills.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the portrayal of mental health crises due to the limited demographic variation of actors.
Limitations
The study was limited to three mental health crisis presentations and could not vary the race and gender of the actors across scenarios.
Participant Demographics
Officers participating in the study were not specified in detail.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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