Persons with Mental Illness
The criminal justice system often becomes the first point of contact for treatment of persons with mental illness. As such, professionals in the system must have strategies and processes for interacting ethically and safely with members of this population and for promoting the welfare of individuals with mental illness and the safety interests of the community. There are many programs that provide frameworks for working with this population. The crisis intervention team (CTI) or “Memphis Model” is considered one of the gold standards. It was developed in partnership with the Memphis Police Department and University of Memphis and is now promoted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
To Prepare
Explore the resources about the CIT model in this week’s Learning Resources.
Consider the value of such programs in our current criminal justice system.
The Assignment (2 pages)
Your submission should include the following:
An explanation of potential risks to people with mental illness, community members, and criminal justice professionals that could exist without commitment to such programs
Requirements: 2 pages
Answer preview
CIT is a commitment among the three stakeholders: the community, law enforcement officers, and mental healthcare providers. The program cannot run without the other; the parties are interdependent such that if one party is not committed then the objective of CIT will not be achieved. The three components need to collaborate for the program to be effective for the police officers, healthcare providers, and the community. The model has a framework for training that help in assisting people with mental illness while also ensuring the safety of the community, police officers, and the families involved. All these three components must understand their role in making the program efficient and give maximum cooperation to their positions.
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Persons with Mental Illness
