Nevada police officers trained as CIT members

Two Nevada police officers have completed an intensive week of training and become the most recent members of the Nevada Crisis Intervention Team.

Police Officer Brian Hansen and Police Officer Brian Moorhouse graduated from Mid-America Crisis Intervention Team training held in Lee's Summit, on Friday, Sept. 23.

These newly trained CIT officers join a team of Nevada officers who were trained in CIT in the spring of 2011. They will join with the CIT Coordinating Council, consisting of several community partners focused on serving the entire area in a more efficient manner.

Police Chief Graham Burnley said, "I'm proud of these officers taking on more responsibility. CIT has led to a greater understanding of mental illness on the part of police officers and has improved the police response in a consumer crisis situation."

The CIT course is 40 hours of training. The course includes instruction in the following topics: overview of mental illness, medication management and identification; de-escalation techniques; steps to prevent suicide; family and consumer panels; site visits; and cultural diversity.

Upon graduation, the officers are awarded a special uniform insignia which designates them as specially trained. This method of identification often helps alleviate anxiety on the part of the consumer and their family.

For more information about CIT, contact Sgt John Millard or Police Officer John Foster at (417) 448-2710.