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CIT PROGRAM HONORED,

TRAINS 1,000 GRADUATE
TH

W hen it comes to preparing law enforcement officers for interactions group supports statewide implementation of CIT training

with people in crisis, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is the gold for law enforcement officers.
th
CCSO celebrated its 1,000 graduate of the CIT
standard.
CCSO recently was honored for its commitment to providing specialized training program in November. More than half of those
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training to the community, _ a program that trained are CCSO deputies.
improves outcomes for deputies, persons in mental health crises, their family Florida CIT Coalition Chairwoman Michele Saunders
members, and the community as a whole. said Sheriff Rambosk has taken the initiative to support
The Florida CIT Coalition presented Sheriff Kevin Rambosk with a Gold consumers of behavioral health services, family members,
Standard Certificate recognizing CCSO for meeting and exceeding the Memphis mental health providers and law enforcement officers who
Model Core Elements. The Memphis Police Department in Tennessee developed assist those in need or in crisis.
CIT training in 1988 to give officers enhanced training related to people with “The Collier County Sheriff’s Office CIT program
mental illness and teaches de-escalation techniques. The training has proven to has provided its deputies with new tools to address the
reduce injuries and deaths to police and people with mental illness. needs of its citizens with mental illness who are in crisis
CCSO is the only agency to achieve gold standard status out of an estimated and others with disabilities, and has moved beyond this
150 counties and municipalities with CIT programs in Florida and the first agency important component of training to develop a first
to be awarded a Gold Standard Certificate, said Larry Thompson of the Coalition. responder system,” said Saunders.
The Florida CIT Coalition is comprised of representatives from communities Sheriff Rambosk’s goal is to have 100 percent of Collier
across Florida currently providing CIT training based on the Memphis Model. The deputies trained in CIT.
Sheriff Rambosk said CCSO shares the honor with the
many organizations and individuals that have partnered
with the Sheriff’s Office since 2008 to bring CIT to
Collier County, including the National Alliance on
Mental Illness (NAMI) of Collier County and the David
Lawrence Center (DLC). NAMI and DLC provide the
funding, facility and staff support for the training. “This
certification underscores the incredible commitment of
Sheriff Rambosk, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office
and the Board of Collier County Commissioners who
have prioritized the assurance that mental health and
addiction challenges in the community are met with the
most compassionate and effective interventions,” said
84 Life in Naples | February 2017