Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) Curriculum: Free Training Resources for Law Enforcement

For law enforcement officers, responding to situations involving individuals with behavioral health conditions (including mental health and substance use) and developmental disabilities in a safe, effective manner can often present a significant challenge. Responding to demands for accessible, standardized, and high-quality training, the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) was developed by the Academic Training Initiative to Inform Police Responses, with the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

CRIT is a 40-hour training curriculum designed to support law enforcement officers in their responses to individuals experiencing crises in their community. A fully off-the-shelf curriculum, CRIT includes 18 modules on behavioral health and developmental disabilities, community engagement and resources, systems and legal considerations, and de-escalation skills. The curriculum is customizable to local needs and purposefully designed to complement crisis response programs planned by law enforcement agencies and their community partners.

Hosted by BJA’s Academic Training Initiative, this webinar will provide an overview of the CRIT curriculum and its development, describe the resources available to agencies through the online CRIT Toolkit, and discuss the implementation of CRIT in the field. Speakers will also describe opportunities for agencies seeking support (i.e., funding, technical assistance) in the delivery of CRIT.