Crisis Intervention Team and Recovery Center- Battle Creek, MI

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Crisis Intervention Team and Recovery Center;
Addressing Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues

Rationale:
The Battle Creek law enforcement interacts with individuals experiencing behavioral health and addiction disorders who lack access to support services. To support the needs of these individuals, the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) and Summit Pointe, who provides mental health and disability services, found it is necessary to provide law enforcement with tools that better address the issues they encounter as first responders. The BCPD and Summit Pointe collaborated to formalize and implement the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and created the Summit Point Recovery Center to address the behavioral health and addiction disorders in the community.

Goal:
To improve first responder’s behavior and recovery services offered to people affected by mental illness, substance-use and addiction disorder.

Project Summary:
The BCPD and Summit Pointe collaborated to formalize and implement the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The CIT program is a police-based crisis intervention training that teaches officers how to de-escalate situations with individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Additionally, the training helps  law enforcement connect individuals with appropriate resources rather than placing these individuals in the criminal justice system due to illness related behaviors.

The CIT program functions as a community partnership between law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, local hospital professionals, prosecutor’s offices, advocates and community members who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders and their families. The cross-collaboration was able to provide stakeholders with an understanding of each other’s role in the behavioral health and substance-use crisis by having behavioral staff ride-along on shifts with officers and having officers participate in home visits with case managers

Additionally, to fill the gap of detox and recovery services in the area, Summit Pointe increased their services to offer resources that support the needs of substance-use and addiction behavior for community members. The Recovery Center provides intensive outpatient programming, outpatient groups, and partners with support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Together, BCPD and Summit Pointe will continue working with community partners in assisting those struggling with mental illness, behavior health issues, and addiction disorders.

 Engagement Strategies: 

• First responders received trainings taught by local specialists from law enforcement, behavioral health specialist, advocates, and individuals experiencing mental illness.
• To bridge the culture divide, law enforcement provided trainings to behavioral health workers on law enforcement protocols and culture.
• Local clinicians are available to co-respond with officers and first responders as requested.
• Summit Pointe increased resources to offer substance abuse services.

Outcomes: 

• Since October of 2018, there have been over 366 CIT interventions.
• Out of 366 interventions, more than half of the cases were able to identify individuals with mental health issues.
• 142 individuals were petitioned by an officer and redirected to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.
• 161 individuals were voluntarily transported to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.
• 26 individuals were transported to appropriate resources (Summit Pointe’s Recovery Center, a shelter, another treatment facility/community resource).
• 2,111 individuals have been served at Summit Pointe Recovery Center.
• 39 incidents involving mental health and/or substance use were resolved on scene.
• The program continues to promote officer safety as well as the safety of individuals in a crisis.

Additional Resources:
Battle Creek, MI- 2019 AAC Winner: Presentation

Local Contact:
Meghan Taft, LLP CAADC
Community Relations/Outreach, Summit Pointe
269-441-5926
meg@summitpointe.org