Beginning in 2021, NCPI built and has administered the CIT ASSIST program in partnership with the USDOJ COPS Office, CIT International, Inc., and a national advisory board of experts from law enforcement, mental health, and advocacy fields.
CIT ASSIST is a national program designed to increase the capacity of law enforcement agencies to effectively create or enhance Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs).
We provide comprehensive support through an established CIT ASSIST Community of Practice, ongoing opportunities for learning and networking, access to training and resources, and direct technical assistance services.
Community of Practice
The foundation of CIT ASSIST is a Community of Practice (CoP), a problem-solving network made up of the agencies that apply for and receive COPS Office funding to improve responses to mental health crises.
The CoP provides a structured way for these agencies to connect with and leverage knowledge and experiences of one another. The group meets virtually each quarter to share insights and experiences that help overcome common challenges.
The CoP membership grows each year, as additional agencies apply for and receive COPS Office funding to support their work.
Online resource center
The hub for all CIT ASSIST activities is a CoP-member-only Online Resource Center that NCPI developed and administers. The Online Resource Center houses:
- Community Discussion Forum
- Member Directory
- Resource Library of Publications
- CoP Meeting and Webinar Recordings
- Technical Assistance Center
Facilitator-led & on-demand training opportunities
Live, virtual training
As part of the CIT ASSIST program, we provide on-going facilitator-led training events to the CoP on topics critical to their work. These include:
- 988 Crisis Hotline
- Early Diversion
- Response to Suicidal Subjects
- Deflection
- Best Practices in Co-Response
- Youth in Suicide Crisis
- Overcoming Language Barriers
Self-paced online training
NCPI offers three no-cost, on-demand CIT eLearning courses and an interactive eGuide through CIT ASSIST. They are available to all public safety, mental and behavioral health, and advocacy professionals, and any other community stakeholders interested in learning about contemporary crisis response strategies.
Technical assistance
NCPI provides direct technical assistance (TA) to the CIT ASSIST CoP to support their immediate and on-going CIT implementation efforts.
The CIT ASSIST TA services span a broad spectrum of topics and delivery modes that can be customized to meet each organization’s unique needs.
Services range from short-term support and guidance to more comprehensive, longer-term engagements covering focus areas including but not limited to:
- understanding and strengthening the community-wide crisis response system
- relationship and consensus building
- data collection and analysis
- CIT leadership competencies
- policy development and enhancement
- infrastructure and capacity building
- training for law enforcement officers and 911 call-takers and dispatchers