KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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When we see something that concerns us, no matter the crisis or situation, we dial 911. Police are usually the first on the scene.
Beginning 20 years ago, police departments in Kansas came together to teach officers how to handle crisis intervention scenarios.
The law enforcement motto is to "protect and serve." Justin Shepard, an Overland Park police officer, said such training teaches an important way to do that.
“It allows us to be able to approach it with a lot more empathy and a lot more of a trauma-informed response,” said Shepard, who serves as chair of the Kansas Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). "That way, we can be there for the individual and try to find a way to be able to get them connected with that next step.”
Before CIT started, officers weren't always trained to handle mental health crises. The training helps police understand the lens through which mental health professionals view situations.
“Understanding the different approach, we allow ourselves to become more human in the interaction,” Shepard said. "I'm just responding to circumstances. I have a lot of authority and power that comes with me, but I'm still here as myself trying to help you through that moment.”
Not only do agencies in Johnson County have CIT officers, but they also have co-responders from Johnson County Mental Health who can help.
“There can often be this perceived disconnect between what happens within the justice space compared to the mental health space,” said Sierra Wright, Johnson County Mental Health prevention manager. “Opportunities like this really bring us together to learn from one another.”
Wright said getting people correct help is the main goal in a crisis situation, but the correct response when this happens also helps keep people that may be experiencing a mental health emergency out of the justice system, where they’re over-represented already.
“The support for these trainings in Johnson County has been critical in helping to divert individuals from going into the justice system and getting mental health or behavioral health treatment that's right for them,” Wright said.
In the 20 years Kansas police have done the training, 1,800 officers have been trained to handle crisis situations. As a CIT officer, Shepard is happy to see officers interested in this important training.
“I worked in patrol for about 11 years before I was able to move over to a specialty unit,” Shepard said. “I saw a lot of interactions that had that extra component that couldn't be addressed and needed to be addressed, and I couldn't do it at that time. But being able to focus on this, get the extra training, the extra collaborations and resources that we have available, I can actually help them with those next steps.”
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