Law enforcement and mental health clinician partnerships in global mental health: outcomes for the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model adaptation in Liberia, West Africa

• Authors: Mina Boazak, Emory University; Sarah Yoss, George Washington University; Brandon A Kohrt, George Washington University; Wilfred Gwaikolo, The Carter Center Mental Health Program; Pat Strode, Georgia Public Safety Training Center; Michael T Compton, Columbia University; Janice Cooper, Emory University
• Journal Title: GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH
• Volume: Volume 7
• Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS | 2020-01-01, Pages e2-e2
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2019.31
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Mental Health; Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Psychiatry; Crisis intervention; developing countries; law enforcement; mental health; police

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model is a law enforcement strategy that aims to build alliances between the law enforcement and mental health communities. Despite its success in the United States, CIT has not been used in low- and middle-income countries. This study assesses the immediate and 9-month outcomes of CIT training on trainee knowledge and attitudes. METHODS: Twenty-two CIT trainees (14 law enforcement officers and eight mental health clinicians) were evaluated using pre-developed measures assessing knowledge and attitudes related to mental illness. Evaluations were conducted prior to, immediately after, and 9 months post training. RESULTS: The CIT training produced improvements both immediately and 9 months post training in knowledge and attitudes, suggesting that CIT can benefit law enforcement officers even in extremely low-resource settings with limited specialized mental health service infrastructure. CONCLUSION: These findings support further exploration of the benefits of CIT in highly under-resourced settings.