Crisis Intervention Team Training

In 1988, the Memphis, Tennessee, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) emerged as an innovative first responder program prioritizing pre-arrest criminal justice diversion for those who are in a mental health crisis. The Memphis Model was born following an officer-involved shooting of an individual with mental illness. Today, CIT is an international model that provides crisis intervention training to law enforcement officers, developed specifically to improve officer-involved responses and interactions with those who have mental illness or co-occurring disorders. The most fundamental element of CIT training is that it is a team model of training. CIT training teams consist of law enforcement professionals, mental health professionals, and a local consumer advocate organization. The use of individuals and families with lived experience of both mental illness and interaction(s) with law enforcement is a critical component of CIT training. Lived experience, cross-partnership collaboration, and content are all aspects of CIT training with the goal of not only education, but also a reduction in stigmatization of mental illness within law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Since the origination of the CIT model, national policies, toolkits, programs, and best practices related to police-mental health collaborations have continued to evolve. CIT has been identified as an ideal training model within law enforcement-mental health collaborations in addition to a best-practice in general for working with individuals with mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system. The Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) (PDF) outlines the continuum in which a person with behavioral health disorders moves through the criminal justice system. SIM outlines instances where an individual with mental illness can be identified and be diverted from the justice system into a treatment system. Providing CIT training to professionals at each intercept within the SIM is consistently recognized as best practice.

Community-based response and local crisis services programs are also affected by CIT training for law enforcement officers. In many cases, behavioral health crisis events include on-site response from law enforcement, even if they are not the first professionals responding to the crisis. Many crisis services programs throughout the nation depend on and/or partner with law enforcement in serving individuals in crisis situations. Additionally, officer-clinician co-response teams are increasing and extending the need for and efficacy of CIT. Further, the rollout of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has led to significant advancements in 988 call center and 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs) interoperability, yielding more thoughtful emergency responses to people who call, text, or chat 988.

Wisconsin’s statutory requirement for crisis intervention training for traditional law enforcement officers also includes training for correctional officers. Additionally, as Wisconsin's crisis system has expanded over the years and law enforcement-mental health collaborations have grown, the development of Crisis Intervention Partners (CIP) has emerged. CIP is a truncated training modeled after the traditional CIT training. CIP is meant to serve other professionals, including correctional officers, who often interact with people who are struggling with mental illness within the criminal justice or emergency response systems.

CIT in Wisconsin

This grant funding will build on the existing CIT and CIP capacity in Wisconsin toward broader dissemination and expanded application of the model and training.

As of May 2025, there were 24 established CIT teams throughout Wisconsin.

• Three teams provide CIP trainings only
• Eight teams provide CIT trainings only
• Eleven teams provide both CIT and CIP trainings

Significant progress with CIT and CIP training has been made in Wisconsin. The following data is from January 2021 through September 2025:

• Officers trained in CIT: 2,437
• Officers trained in CIT advanced: 972
• Officers and partners trained in CIP: 3,090
• Total CIT trainings provided: 120
• Total CIT advanced trainings provided: 35
• Total CIP trainings provided: 124

Origins of funding

Recognizing the opportunity and challenges associated with law enforcement encounters with people with behavioral health conditions, 2013 Wis. Act 126 made a biennial allocation of general purpose revenue for statewide mental health CIT training for law enforcement agencies and correctional officers. The amount allocated to this programming has gradually increased since its inception. Today, under Wis. Stat. § 46.535, the biennial allocation is $1,000,000.

The population of focus for this funding opportunity is law enforcement agencies and correctional officers throughout Wisconsin.

The following are required for this funding opportunity:

• Access to CIT training for all Tribal nations, counties, and municipalities.
• Ability to provide oversight, administration, and operation of trained crisis intervention teams throughout the state.
• An understanding of the Memphis Model and the best practices outlined by CIT International.
• Collaboration with statewide law enforcement partners, behavioral health personnel, and advocacy groups.

Maximum points available for this section: 15

Describe how the program requirements will be met.

• Address the needs of the population of focus: law enforcement agencies, and correctional officers.
• Approach or philosophy towards the administration, continued development, and delivery of CIT.
• Explain the method(s) that will be used to fulfill the vision of this project.
• Explain how the program will be directed throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Maximum points available for this section: 20

The capacity to do the work and meet the program requirements is different from the experience doing the work.

Describe capacity to implement the program design.

• Demonstrate how a training plan will be developed and implemented to engage and equitably train local CIT partnerships around the state.
• Address how key recommendations of CIT International will be supported in the process of curriculum creation, training administration, and sustaining partnerships.
• Explain the planned mechanisms and coordination for facilitating CIT training throughout the state of Wisconsin.
• Objectively indicate for each of the five years estimated goals for the following:
  • Number of 40-hour CIT trainings.
  • Overall number of law enforcement and correctional officers (and emergency communicators/911 personnel) trained.
  • Overall unique law enforcement agencies sending officers for training (patrol and correctional).
• List new or existing staff positions that will work under this grant and the anticipated full-time equivalents for each position.
• Detail the recruitment process and the anticipated timeline if hiring new positions.
• Explain how the program will continue if there is turnover in staff.
• Explain other resources/partnerships and their role in ensuring success of this program.

If subcontractor(s) will be used to perform activities to achieve program goals, describe:

• The extent of the relationship.
• How the subcontractor(s) capacity relates to the overall ability to implement this program.
• Roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the subcontractor(s).
• Experience managing and monitoring subcontractor(s).

Maximum points available for this section: 20

Describe experience with, and/or knowledge similar to, this program.

• Providing services, conducting activities, and/or fulfilling requirements.
• Building relationships with and/or working with the population(s) of focus or similar population(s).
• Collecting and using data or other information to determine if your efforts had an impact.
• Hiring and supervising staff with specialized knowledge or licensure.

Describe subcontracted staff's experience with and/or knowledge similar to, this program (if subcontracted staff will be used)

• Providing services, conducting activities, and/or fulfilling requirements.
• Building relationships with and/or working with the population(s) of focus or similar population(s).
• Collecting and using data or other information to determine if your efforts had an impact.
• Hiring and supervising staff with specialized knowledge or licensure.

Describe the relevant training and professional development staff and/or subcontracted staff will receive over the anticipated funding period.

Maximum points available for this section: 40 total

For each priority, describe the:

• Objectives: Measurable and time-bound efforts to achieve the priority.
• Activities: Specific steps you will take to meet the objectives.
• Timelines: When you anticipate starting and finishing each activity.
• Measurable impact: Describe how you will measure or demonstrate a desirable outcome is being achieved for the priority (for example, data source(s) or measurements that will be used, surveys of clientele, etc.).

Priority one

Maximum points available for priority one: 10 points

Improving law enforcement response: core CIT curriculum and training – develop and facilitate a CIT core curriculum that assures consistency with CIT components.

• Describe the curriculum that will be used or will be created.
• Demonstrate how a training plan will be developed and implemented to engage and equitably train local CIT partnerships around the state.
• Address how key recommendations of CIT International will be supported in the process of curriculum creation, training administration, and sustaining partnerships.
• Explain the planned mechanisms and coordination for facilitating CIT training throughout the state of Wisconsin.
• Objectively indicate for each of the five years estimated goals for the following:
  • Number of 40-hour CIT trainings.
  • Overall number of law enforcement and correctional officers (and emergency communicators/911 personnel) trained.
  • Overall unique law enforcement agencies sending officers for training (patrol and correctional).

Priority two

Maximum points available for priority two: 10 points

Crisis Intervention Partners (CIP) curriculum and training – develop and facilitate a CIP curriculum that adheres to national recommendations.

• Describe the curriculum that will be used or will be created.
• Demonstrate how a training plan will be developed and implemented to engage and equitably train partners.
• Explain the planned mechanisms and coordination for facilitating CIP training throughout the state of Wisconsin.
• Objectively indicate for each of the five years estimated goals for the following:
  • Number of two-day CIP trainings.
  • Overall number of officers and partners CIP trained.
  • Overall number of other individuals participating in CIP training.

Priority three

Maximum points available for priority three: 10 points

Continued education and advanced training – develop and facilitate curriculum standards for continuing education trainings and advanced material trainings.

• Describe what advanced CIT training will be created and how advanced topic material will be chosen.
• Objectively estimate for each of the five years the number of advanced CIT trainings to be supported.
• Develop a process for continuing education, refresher trainings, and advanced trainings for ongoing officer education.

Priority four

Maximum points available for priority three: 10 points

Data collection and expansion – gather and use data to inform curriculum, advance trainings, and expansion efforts in under CIT trained areas or agencies.

• Explain how the grantee will establish and implement a procedure and process for tracking numbers of patrol officers, correctional officers, and communication/dispatch/911 staff trained in CIT and CIP respectively.
• Describe how data on trainings provided will be coordinated, facilitated, monitored, and collected.
• Demonstrate how data will be collected, maintained, and analyzed with respect to participant satisfaction with trainings, knowledge and confidence gained, and knowledge and confidence maintained.
• Use "Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Methods for Using Data to Inform Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide" (PDF) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to inform data practices.