Program Contacts
John Osborn
Mecklenburg County Public Health
LCSW, CIT Coordinator and Veteran Specialist, Trauma and Justice Partnerships
704-564-3519
Ebony Rao
Mecklenburg County Department of Public Health
LPC, CIT Program Manager, Trauma and Justice Partnerships
980-314-8617
Major Daniel Johnson
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office
Office of Professional Compliance
980-314-5007
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
Family member or other person calls 911 for mental health crisis.
Patrol Officer dispatched; if a mental health crisis is identified a CIT officer is called to the scene.
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.
Mental health consumer receives appropriate services - coordination with Criminal Justice System maintains accountability.