19 complete MPD crisis intervention class
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Nineteen people completed training Friday to become part of the Maui Police Department's Crisis Intervention Team that interacts with people who may be in a mental health crisis.
The 19 new members include police officers and dispatchers, as well as employees of the county Department of Transportation, Roberts Hawaii, state Department of Education, Family Life Center, Ka Hale A Ke Ola, Salvation Army, Maui Aloha Foundation and security staff from Honua Kai Resort and Spa.
The 40 hours of training addressed how to interact with people potentially suffering from a mental illness or experiencing an emotional crisis, according to an MPD news release. The training focused on de-escalating a situation before it reaches a point of violence or self-harm while ensuring people receive help.
The class last week was the 11th since the MPD program started in 2013. So far, 165 people have completed the program.
It was the third class since the COVID-19 pandemic led by Alicia Rodriguez, law enforcement clinical psychologist of Waves of Insight.
The CIT training is part of MPD's Critical Outreach and Response through Education unit that works with community agencies on issues including homeless people and those potentially suffering from mental illness.