The modesto police department intends to work with the local county behavioral health department to host a 40-hour crisis intervention and DE-escalation training program that will be taught by…

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded the City of Modesto $126,800 on October 1, 2025, under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710) to deliver a 40-hour crisis intervention and de-escalation training program in partnership with the local county behavioral health department.

The training is taught by behavioral health professionals and incorporates scenario-based instruction developed with a local psychologist, a local production company providing role-players, and parents or family members of individuals who experience mental health crises. The award also supports maintenance of the Modesto Police Department's International Board of Credentialling and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCE) autism center certification, which the department achieved in 2024 as the first certified autism center in California. Department staff maintain training and certification in recognizing and communicating with people with autism; the certification requires renewal every two years.

Period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. Work is performed in Modesto, California.

The modesto police department intends to work with the local county behavioral health department to host a 40-hour crisis intervention and DE-escalation training program that will be taught by behavioral health professionals from the modesto community. This training is comprehensive and tailored specifically to the modesto community using scenario-based instruction that involves a local psychologist, a local production company providing role-players and parents/family members of individuals who experience mental health crises. In addition, in 2024 the modesto police department became the first department to become a certified autism center in california through the international board of credentialling and continuing education standards (IBCCE). This means department staff have been trained and certified in recognizing and communicating with people with autism. This training expires every two years, and the modesto police department would like to maintain its autism center certification.