“Crisis Awareness and Self-Care training” was provided to Washington County law enforcement personnel
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio –
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Monday, November 22nd, announced the creation of a new division within the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services that will focus exclusively on the well-being of Ohio’s first responders. The Washington County Behavioral Health Board and the Ohio Department of Public Safety collaborated to offer a “Crisis Awareness and Self-Care” Advanced Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training curriculum to Washington County’s local law enforcement departments. Two classes were held and 35 law enforcement personnel participated. Many law enforcement leaders joined in with road deputies, police officers, corrections officers, and dispatchers to take the class.
As the Governor intended, the training provided support to first responders specialized to their unique experiences. Topics included post-traumatic stress disorders, immediate and prolonged trauma responses, and normalizing some post-critical incident physiological responses. Warning signs and symptoms that a first responder may need to seek professional mental health services for support were also addressed. Presenter Steven M. Click served 36 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and oversaw their Member Assistance Team from 2002 to 2018. He brought a wealth of knowledge, as well as personal experiences that deeply connected Washington County’s first responders to the importance of first responder wellness.
The Washington County Behavioral Health Board has been organizing Crisis Intervention Training for local law enforcement for the past 6 years. Since inception, approximately 125 officers and 38 dispatchers have received CIT training. In 2020, the Board began collaborating with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) to expand on crisis intervention training and offer advanced curriculum including specialized curriculum for dispatchers, officer wellness, and youth intervention.
Pictured below are representatives from Belpre Police Department, Beverly Police Department, Marietta College Police Department, Marietta Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol (local post), and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Presenter Steven M. Click, Ohio Department of Public Safety and Shaeleigh Sprigg, Washington County Behavioral Health Board Staff are also pictured.
For more information on Crisis Intervention Team training, or local behavioral health treatment resources, please visit www.wcbhb.org.
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