The chattanooga police department will extend and enhance the established crisis intervention training (CIT) through the implementation of an advanced CIT course

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded the City of Chattanooga $119,270 on October 1, 2025, under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710) to extend and enhance Crisis Intervention Training through an advanced CIT course.

The Chattanooga Police Department will deliver one eight-hour advanced CIT course annually, providing refresher training and updates on de-escalation best practices, crisis response, and mental health. Funding supports training materials and supplies including wallet cards, pocket guides, sensory or regulation items, USB drives, advanced CIT pins, patches, removable car decals, and books for a CIT resource library. Promotional funds increase project reach. The award also funds specialization training and certifications for the Crisis Co-Response Unit (primary CIT instructors) and other CIT members within the department, equipping them to instruct on evidence-based de-escalation standards.

Performance occurs in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The assistance type is a Project Grant.

This project proposes one eight-hour advanced CIT course per year that will provide refresher and relevant updates on best practices within the realm of crisis response and mental health, while enhancing skills by highlighting special topics and/or populations that are applicable to crisis response for safer outcomes. This projects funding will be used for training materials and supplies, including but not limited to wallet cards or pocket guides for crisis DE-escalation resources, sensory/regulation items, USB drives with training materials, advanced CIT pins, patches, and removable car decals, books to create a CIT resource library, as well as promotional funds to increase the reach of the project. Furthermore, funding is requested for specialization training and certifications for the crisis CO-response unit who act as primary instructors for CIT, as well as other invested CIT members within the department that will better equip them to instruct on the most relevant, applicable, and evidence based DE-escalation standards during the advanced CIT course, as well as creating opportunities for a successful CIT program.