Valley police officers face any number of uncertainties when they respond to a call, but a training program aims to help them recognize and deal with people suffering from a behavioral health issue, as was the case with a recent standoff in Phoenix.
Nick Margiotta is the Crisis Intervention Training Coordinator for the Phoenix Police Department. He says in addition to discussion about how to defuse situations involving people in crisis, the 40-hour training program also includes a lot of discussion about how to divert people away from the criminal justice system, and into the behavioral health system.
