By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — To graduate Crisis Intervention Team training and become a CIT officer, first responders must have 40 hours of class time that covers a plethora of topics.

But nearly 30 did it this past week, earning their certificates after a brief ceremony Friday at the Warsaw Police Department training facility. They were the second cohort to become CIT officers locally, with the first group having been trained back in May.

“This is great. We had a phenomenal turnout, and I’m hoping that everybody really took some good, quality skills with them this week,” said WPD officer Chris Francis, coordinator on the law enforcement side for the Kosciusko County CIT stakeholder group, in his remarks kicking off the graduation ceremony. “… We’re so deeply appreciative of all the entities that provided lectures and manpower, food — thanks to the sheriff’s office for that. We’re very, very fortunate to have the partnerships we have here.”

Collaboration

The first of three guest speakers, Warsaw Mayor Jeff Grose said, “You’ve completed some vital training this week that is so valuable for this community. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it as mayor, on behalf of the city and county.”

He thanked everyone for their dedication to “this type of work. This training is not just a formality. I’m a schoolteacher for 35 years, I’ve been to training sessions. Very, very important. I’m hoping that you’ll walk out of here today realizing it’s going to be different. It’s going to be different for you, it’s going to be different for our community. It represents a commitment to the well-being of our community, particularly those most vulnerable in our community.”

Grose said crisis intervention is not easy work, it requires top-notch training, compassion, patience and a commitment to protecting both the individuals in crisis and the community as a whole.

“The mental health crisis is not bound by any schedule or specific location. It can happen any time of the day – in our homes, on our streets and in our workplaces – affecting people from all walks of life,” he said. “And for many of these individuals, you’ll be their first point of contact. The first person they see in their most desperate hour. What you do in these moments can mean the difference between a tragedy and a peaceful resolution, between chaos and calm, between fear and hope. By completing this training this week, you’re committing to more than crisis management, you’re committing to being agents of understanding, empathy and resolution.”

Grose told the first responders that they’ve been provided with tools to de-escalate situations, to recognize the signs of mental health struggles and to intervene with care.

“This program is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together — law enforcement officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, mental health advocates and community stakeholders. I see it in this room. I see it every day. Each of you brings a unique strength to the table. Together, you form a safety net for those who need it most. In times of crisis, it is the combined strength of this team that will make all the difference,” he stated.

Sheriff Jim Smith said, “I’d like to congratulate the leadership that helped facilitate this. It’s an absolute testament … they have their ear to the ground, the pulse of the community, if you will, as to what’s needed.”

If you keep doing the same thing repeatedly and don’t change how you’re doing it, you can expect the same results, Smith said.

“So they had the vision, they knew there was a need for this and they put this together. I know things like this aren’t always easy to do, a lot of logistics involved, a lot of planning. So I want to first of all give them a hand for seeing the need and then putting this together,” he said.

To the CIT participants, Smith told them, “You bought into that vision. You, too, saw that there was a need and your passion showed through on wanting to perfect your craft, whether you’re a dispatcher, jail officer, road officer and other entities. All of you. Wherever you came from, your profession specifically, you want to become better, and that’s what we need for this community.”

He talked about how the state has recognized there’s a direct correlation between drug addiction and mental illness, and they see a lot of that in the county jail. He congratulated all the participants and told them how proud he was of them. “Thanks for taking a step to better serve our community.”

Mikaela Bixler, Community Assistance Resources & Emergency Services community health coordinator, said the program would not be possible without its sponsors and supporters, including WPD, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Allendale Treatment and Fort Wayne Recovery, Bowen Center, Lutheran EMS, Martins’ Super Market, Meijer, The Cake Lady, Lighthouse Autism Center and Today’s Champions.

She thanked all the participants for going through the 40 hours of training and committing to learning about mental health. There were over 30 presenters during the week. She thanked those who shared their own stories, saying that really meant a lot.

“Some people might ask why is this training important. It’s just a training. But, CIT and the program is not just about training, it’s about systems change. It’s about providing the most appropriate and individualized response for people in crisis. It’s about keeping every person in our community safe, taking care of ourselves, taking care of each other, seeing past the surface level, remembering at the end of the day that we’re all human. It’s about being there for each other,” Bixler said.

Statistics

Katie Hobson, a volunteer with National Alliance on Mental Illness Indiana, spoke about the origins and growth of NAMI, as well as what the organization does and some mental health statistics.

“One in five Americans will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. In 17% of youth, ages 6-17, they will experience mental health condition. Earlier this year, the Crisis Text Line released its fifth annual United in Empathy report. There were 1.3 million conversations with a crisis counselor in 2023; 1.3 million individuals reached out for support during their heaviest moments, with many of those conversations resulting in law enforcement involvement for wellness checks,” she said.

Not only are adults in the community struggling, but so are the children, she said, with mental illness also becoming more prevalent.

“Over 1.1 million adults in Indiana have a mental health condition. In 2021, more than 90,000 Indiana youth were diagnosed with depression,” she said, adding that she thought it was only fitting that the second CIT training was this month. September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10-14; the third leading cause of death among ages 15-24; and the 12th leading cause of death overall. On average, she said, one person dies by suicide every 11 minutes. The Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office responded to 11 suicides in 2023.

“The individuals in our communities are hurting and struggling, and many of them reach out for help, or their loved ones reach out on their behalf. Our law enforcement officers are often the first responders in these moments of crisis, therefore it is vital that we have a dedicated team trained and educated with compassion, empathy and understanding,” she said.

Classes

After the ceremony, Bixler said the first training was advertised more to law enforcement. Francis said this session was opened up to all the emergency services, including fire, EMS, probation, jail staff, dispatch and community corrections.

“Because it’s not exclusive to law enforcement, and given the full spectrum of the services that are available, it’s imperative that the fire and EMS have an understanding of that as well because they’re dealing with mental health crises on an ambulance call, or a car crash, if there’s been some type of trauma that’s occurred – they may need those consoling skills as well,” Francis said.

This second cohort had officers from Bluffton, and he said that’s the way it’ll be from this point forward – first responders from outside Kosciusko County will be invited to participate.

“We really wanted to use the first one as our testing grounds — see what worked as far as presents and courses. With this one, we rearranged a little bit, brought some new speakers in,” Francis said.

Bixler said they had some people share their personal stories. Topics included first responders’ own mental health, suicide prevention and how to identify warning signs, autism and sensory disorders, community resources and homelessness.

“There were some courses that were specific to the students. So mental health related to emergency services, not the public, which is crucial for us because we not only have to care for the public, we have to care for ourselves as well,” Francis stated.

A third class is being planned for spring 2025.

“So our goal is, depending on the amount of students we get in the spring one, we’ll then have another fall one, or in the fall we’ll just do a refresher for all the past students,” he said.