Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT)

A community-based collaboration between law enforcement, mental health agencies, consumers and family members, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)-Charlotte, and Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). CIT serves as a pre-booking jail diversion program to train law enforcement officers how to interact with persons during a time of crisis who have a serious mental illness.

Program Contacts

Johanna Covault, LCSW
Mecklenburg County Public Health
CIT Coordinator/Licensed Mental Health Clinician
704-619-4496

John Osborn, LCSW
Mecklenburg County Public Health
CIT Coordinator and Veteran Specialist
704-564-3519

Chasity Lambert, LCSW
Health Program Manager
CIT and Hope Programs
980-310-4185

Training Topics

Carefully selected volunteer patrol officers receive Crisis Intervention Team training in a 40-hour certification course where they learn:

  • Recognizing signs of mental illness for persons in crisis

  • Basic diagnosis and medication knowledge

  • Verbal de-escalation skills

  • Community resource information

  • How CIT works and how it fits into each department’s operations

CIT Step by Step

  1. Family member or other person calls 911 for mental health crisis.

  2. Patrol Officer dispatched; if a mental health crisis is identified a CIT officer is called to the scene.

  3. CIT Officer assesses situation utilizing verbal de-escalation and other learned skills then determines best course of action; if more extensive mental health assessment is needed Mobile Crisis can be called to the scene.

  4. Mental health consumer receives appropriate services - coordination with Criminal Justice System maintains accountability.