Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) research has shown increases in officer transports of individuals with serious mental illness to emergency departments (ED) which, while more appropriate than incarceration, can be expensive and lack linkage to long-term mental health services. Mental health crisis centers offer a promising alternative, but impact may be limited by proximal distance and lack of officer awareness. To address this concern, this study asked, “Does CIT training affect officer transport decisions to a crisis center over a nearby ED?” Researchers analyzed crisis call reports in a Midwestern county and found increased use of the crisis center and decreased use of EDs by officers after CIT was implemented. The crisis location affected officer transport decisions, yet CIT officers were more likely than non-CIT officers to travel farther for appropriate linkage. Findings suggest CIT changes officer behavior, which could potentially lead to long-term, low-cost treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses when there is a mental health crisis center.

中文翻译：

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心理健康危机地点和警察运输决策：危机干预团队培训对危机中心利用的影响

危机干预小组 (CIT) 的研究表明，将患有严重精神疾病的人送往急诊室 (ED) 的人数有所增加，这虽然比监禁更合适，但费用昂贵且缺乏与长期心理健康服务的联系。心理健康危机中心提供了一个有希望的替代方案，但影响可能会因近距离距离和缺乏警官意识而受到限制。为了解决这个问题，这项研究提出了这样的问题：“CIT 培训是否会影响军官通过附近 ED 运送到危机中心的决定？” 研究人员分析了中西部一个县的危机呼叫报告，发现在实施 CIT 后，危机中心的使用增加了，而警官对 ED 的使用减少了。危机地点影响了军官的交通决定，然而，与非 CIT 官员相比，CIT 官员更有可能前往更远的地方以获得适当的联系。调查结果表明，CIT 改变了官员的行为，这可能会导致在有心理健康危机中心的情况下为患有严重精神疾病的个人提供长期、低成本的治疗。