The ST. Croix county sheriff's office will use FY24 safer outcomes funding to provide a 40 hour in-person training program that has been developed by minnesota CIT (crisis intervention team)

The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office received a $195,442 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program (CFDA 16.710, Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants) to provide a 40-hour in-person Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program for its deputies. Over the 2-year grant period, the county plans to send a majority of its deputies through this Minnesota CIT course, which covers topics such as mental illness, de-escalation techniques, and working with individuals in crisis. The training, facilitated by the Minnesota CIT organization, aims to enhance the sheriff's office's capabilities in safely and compassionately responding to mental health emergencies within the community.

The course will be facilitated and taught by MN CIT at their training facility in inver grove heights minnesota, which is a reasonable distance from the ST. Croix county sheriff's office. Over the course of the two year grant time period, we intend on sending a majority of our deputies through this in-person course that gives law enforcement an in-depth look at mental illness and its implications to law enforcement. The course will cover schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, mood disorders, cognitive disorders, personality and substance disorders, suicide assessment, adolescent and elder issues, ptsd, suicide by COP, and mental health courts. Advocates and consumers of mental health services speak on their experiences. There will also be a panel of providers for a panel discussion as well as extensive role-play exercises featuring professional actors. This course helps students develop a practical assessment plan for working with people in crisis, as well as teaches intervention and DE-escalation minnesota CIT, a 501(c)(3), is a respected training partner in the area and theirmission is to provide law enforcement personnel and mental health professionals with information and training in how to safely and compassionately handle a person in a mental health crisis. This course is minnesota post board approved and at this point, MN CIT has IT scheduled thirteen times through may of 2025 among its other scheduled courses.