How the Fort Worth Crisis Intervention Team handles mental health calls
Individuals suffering from untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians, according to a study from the Treatment Advocacy Center.
As awareness regarding mental health issues in connection to law enforcement grew around the nation, police departments faced criticism over how they handled calls regarding mental health crises.
In 2017, the Fort Worth Police Department decided to address the problem and added a Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Unit to respond to mental health-related calls.
The effort for change continued. In September of 2020, the Fort Worth City Council accepted a $47,495 grant from the Morris Foundation to train officers beyond the scope of the CIT, on de-escalation techniques that mitigate violence.
The 2022 Fort Worth city budget provides an expansion of the Crisis Intervention Team which falls under the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Initiative. This means that mental health professionals will be able to take the lead on calls involving persons in mental crisis.
When the program began, there was one team consisting of six officers. Today, there are two teams with a total of 20 officers that cover shifts from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
As the CIT enters its fifth year in the field, it has answered over 8,300 calls for service, assisted over 3,1000 patrol officers, and conducted over 3,700 follow-ups.
All members of the unit are TCOLE certified as Mental Health Peace Officers and undergo an additional 120 hours of training compared to standard police officers.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department, the unit's mission is based on reducing the hazards associated with interactions between law enforcement and people suffering from mental illness as well as proactively engaging mental health consumers who pose a threat to the community as a whole.
Since the creation of the CIT, the number of calls involving mental health issues has increased. However, Commander Amy Lad, head of the Crisis Intervention Team, says it is still a small portion of the whole department's everyday calls.
Lt. Amy Ladd (Photo courtesy of FWPD Website)
Lt. Amy Ladd (Photo courtesy of FWPD Website)
“The underlying elements behind mental illness-related behaviors are usually not criminal or malicious,” said Ladd.
The CIT’s work has an emphasis on de-escalation. To combat intimidation, officers arrive at scenes in alternative uniforms and vehicles.
Photos courtesy of Fort Worth Police Department
Photos courtesy of Fort Worth Police Department
Fort Worth resident Gail Young said she recently saw a CIT team in action. “I was in awe of their professionalism and compassion for a troubled person.”
However, not all encounters with CIT officers have been so pleasant.
One woman, who asked that her name not be used for privacy reasons, said she felt “belittled and talked to like a child” when someone reported that the woman might be suicidal. “I immediately felt like they didn't believe a single word I would say.”
Still, Ladd said, “increasing public trust and confidence in law enforcement among people suffering from mental illness, their families and the community-at-large is our goal.”
These students contributed to this report: Izzy Acheson, Allie Brown, Maddy Buchanan, Elizabeth Burns, Chloe Cloud, Chaelie DeJohn, Ella Gibson, Kate Hellmund, Anya Ivory, Nicole Johnson, Iris Lopez. Mike Niezgodzki, Camilla Price, Rebecca Robinson, Edgar Saenz, Tristen Smith, Bailee Utter, Katherine Vaughn, Kyla Vogel
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