Who:
 Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
 Patrol Operation Bureau
-Mental Health Unit

-National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pinellas County, Florida (NAMI)

-Pinellas CIT Committee

35 Graduates From:

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office

St. Petersburg Police Department

Clearwater Police Department

Largo Police Department         

Pinellas Park Police Department

Tarpon Springs Police Department

Gulfport Police Department

USF Police Department

Florida Highway Patrol

Belleair Police Department

What:
All is set for the graduation ceremony of the Pinellas County Crisis Intervention Team.

When:
The ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 23rd, 2017.

Where:
The ceremony will be held at the Suncoast Hospice-Empath Health located at 5771 Roosevelt Boulevard in Largo.

Why/How:
35 individuals representing ten law enforcement agencies will graduate from the Pinellas County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program on June 23rd.

This is the 18th year since the establishment of CIT in Pinellas County.

In 1999, Pinellas County Mental Health/Substance Abuse Coalition conducted the first CIT course in Florida and has been instrumental in promoting the program throughout the state.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program is a specialized training and practice for first-responder law enforcement officers in how to properly and safely handle situations involving persons with mental illness. The cornerstone of CIT is a 40-hour course taught, free of charge, by mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, persons with a mental illness diagnosis and advocates.

The training includes essential information about mental illnesses and how to recognize it; information about the local mental health system and state laws; de-escalation skills; and, the opportunity to learn first-hand from consumers and family members about their experiences.

Media is invited to cover. For additional information contact the Sheriff’s Public Information Office at (727) 582-6221.