Twenty-four officers graduated from NOPD’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program this morning (Mar. 14).

CIT is a nationally recognized “best practices” approach in recognizing and managing behavior that may be attributable to a mental health disorder. CIT officers receive 40 hours of specialized training from mental health experts focused on techniques and best practices for minimizing the use of force against individuals in crisis due to mental illness or a behavioral disorder.

Watch Video: Inside Crisis Intervention Team Training

Training includes lectures from mental health experts as well as on-site visitation and exposure to mental health facilities, intensive interaction with individuals with a mental illness and scenario-based de-escalation skills training.

The following officers were recognized as having completed their CIT certification:

David Aranda

Nneka Beechem

Amit Bidichandani

Esther Rose Cauthron

Kimberly Clemons

Patrick Crowley

Dominque DeJernette

Jake Engle

Garry Flot

Miles Guerreri

Shanay Howard

Amanda Lanning

Tejon Brittini Lewis

Alexander Reiter

Lionel Reneau

Samuel Senter

Leroy-Joseph Smith

Arin Starzyk

Jason Thomas

Vaughn Valeary

Anthony Vastola

Drew Williams

Raymond Young

Teri Nezbeth

In addition, the following Crisis Transportation Service (CTS) technicians completed their training course and were also included in the graduation ceremony:

Tifany Anderson                

Ann Byerly

Natalie Dietz

Neysa Fanwick

Anna Hasty

Camille Hazeur

Dan Lawton

Lionel Luchion

Darren Merritt

Renee Rowley

Lynette Sparrow

Mary Salvati

Eric Smith

Nancy Tran

Heather Weaver

Pamela Yaeger   

Lucy Cordts

Jacob Rickoll

Lorenza Lawless

The event was held at the NOPD Training Academy on Lakeshore Drive.