CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Parkridge Valley CEO Brennan Francois will be the speaker at the Graduation Ceremony and Reception for the Sixth Class of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-Trained Law Enforcement Officers, which will take place at 3:00pm. on Friday, April 27 in Chattanooga State Community College’s Health & Science Building Room 1038.
The Crisis Intervention Team is a joint endeavor of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Chattanooga Police Department. CIT training is designed to help ensure law enforcement awareness of mental health resources and to address attitudes and stigma regarding mental illness. The CIT Curriculum is delivered over a 40 hour week of intensive training provided by volunteer mental health professionals, advocates, and CIT trained law enforcement officers. Law enforcement professionals from multiple agencies have completed the CIT program and returned to their communities to train other personnel on how to identify and intervene in situations where an individual is dealing with a mental health crisis.
Participants for the sixth session of the CIT training included representatives from the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, Lookout and Signal Mountain Police, the Chattanooga State and UTC campus police, Lauderdale County Mississippi Sheriff’s Department, Meridian Mississippi Police Department and the VA Law Enforcement Center, Little Rock Arkansas.
For more information contact Monica Middlebrooks, CIT Manager at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, at (423) 893-3503.
About Parkridge Valley
Parkridge Valley, the 140-bed behavioral health facility of Parkridge Health System, has served the tri-state area for over 35 years, providing unparalleled expertise in treating a broad range of behavioral and chemical dependency problems for children and adolescents as well as adults. A community helpline, RESPOND, is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, by calling (423) 499-2300 or (800) 542-9600. The trained mental health professionals and psychiatric nurses on staff with RESPOND offer confidential assessment, consultation and referral of callers to appropriate services.