According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), only 3-5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness.
In fact, people with a serious mental illness are over 10 times more likely to be victims of a violent crime than the general population. Despite this, law enforcement officers are often the first responders to these mental health related calls.
Since 2017, NAMI St. Tammany has worked with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) to build community connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency room services, and individuals living with a mental illness and their family members. These specialized deputies have undergone countless trainings to ensure that community members impacted by mental health conditions are offered support in some of their darkest times, ultimately reducing arrests and increasing access to needed behavioral health services.
The Crisis Intervention Team works closely with community partners to keep individuals with a mental illness out of jail and in treatment, on the road to recovery.
NAMI St. Tammany invites members of the community to the first CIT Forum on Thursday, October 5 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the Safe Haven Training and Education Center in Mandeville.
Crisis Intervention Team deputies will provide a glimpse into their daily operations and protocols while fielding your questions. Join us to learn more about what our CIT Team does to increase mental health awareness, access to services, and build a community of support for individuals impacted by mental health needs.
Space is limited for this free event.
Please RSVP to NAMI St. Tammany at (985) 626-6538 or email info@namisttammany.org.
