CIT Training: How Officers Can Talk With Someone in a Mental Health Crisis

The call comes in as a "disturbance." When you arrive, a man in his thirties is pacing the sidewalk outside his mother's house, talking fast, arguing with someone who isn't there. His mother is on the porch, crying, saying, "Please don't hurt him. He just needs help." Everything you say in the next few minutes matters, and most of it has little to do with commands.

This is the kind of encounter CIT training was built for. Crisis Intervention Team programs teach officers to recognize a mental health crisis, slow the encounter down, communicate in ways that lower distress, and connect people to care instead of jail when that's appropriate. This guide explains what CIT covers and the communication habits that sit at its core.

This article is general information for public safety professionals, not clinical or legal guidance. Follow your agency's policy, your local CIT program's curriculum, and direction from mental health partners. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In an emergency, call 911.

What Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training Covers

A Crisis Intervention Team program is, in the words of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), "an innovative, community-based approach to improve the outcomes of these encounters" (NAMI). The model is often called the "Memphis Model." NAMI notes that CIT was created in Memphis after a police officer shot a person with mental illness, and that before 1988 police in this country had no training on handling a mental health crisis (NAMI blog).

CIT is more than a class. It's a partnership between law enforcement, mental health providers, and families, built so officers have somewhere to take a person in crisis besides jail. Today, NAMI reports CIT programs in over 2,700 communities nationwide.

The core of crisis intervention team training is a 40-hour course for law enforcement. According to NAMI, the curriculum typically includes:

Active listening and de-escalation
Legal considerations
Mental illness basics, including conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and PTSD
Suicide detection and prevention
Role plays

One of the most distinctive pieces is lived experience. During the 40-hour course, NAMI notes, individuals and family members share their personal stories of living with mental illness. Hearing directly from people who have been on the other side of a crisis call often changes how officers approach the next one.

Does crisis intervention training work?

NAMI reports that research links CIT with improved officer attitudes and knowledge about mental illness, fewer arrests of people with mental illness, and greater likelihood that people receive mental health services. It also cites Memphis, where CIT resulted in an 80% reduction in officer injuries during mental health crisis calls. Results vary by community, and CIT works best as part of a partnership with local crisis services, not as a standalone class.

Recognizing Common Crisis Presentations

Officers are not expected to diagnose. The goal is to notice when behavior may be driven by a mental health crisis so you can adjust your approach. Signs you might see include:

Confused, disorganized, or very rapid speech
Responding to voices or things others can’t see or hear
Extreme fear, agitation, or suspicion
Deep sadness, hopelessness, or withdrawal
Statements about wanting to die or not wanting to be here
Difficulty following simple instructions, even when the person seems to want to cooperate

Context helps too. A family member might tell dispatch about a diagnosis or missed medication. NAMI advises families to tell dispatchers their loved one is having a mental health crisis and to ask for a CIT officer if possible (NAMI). Make use of that information when it's available.

Slowing Down: Time, Distance, and Voice

For most calls, officers are trained to take control quickly. With a person in crisis, speed often works against you. The Police Executive Research Forum's ICAT training module on crisis recognition advises officers to "move slowly," focus on calming the situation, and not rush in unless immediate action is required (PERF ICAT Module 3).

Three tools help you slow things down safely:

Time. When there’s no immediate threat, time lets a person’s distress come down and gives you more information. There’s rarely a reason to resolve a crisis call in two minutes.
Distance. Space protects you and makes the person feel less trapped. It also gives you room to talk rather than grab.
Voice. Speak slowly, at a lower volume, in short sentences. PERF’s guidance warns that shouting commands is often counterproductive to someone in crisis.

The same module puts it simply: position yourself to have a conversation, not a situation where all you can do is bark commands.

What to Say (and What to Avoid) in a Crisis Encounter

Start with who you are

Introduce yourself and ask how you can help. "Hi, I'm Officer Lee. Your mom called because she's worried about you. I'm here to help. What's going on today?" It sounds simple, but it changes the frame from enforcement to support.

One question at a time

PERF recommends "no more than one command/question at a time," and giving the person time to answer. People in crisis may process information slowly. Silence after a question often means they're thinking, not refusing.

Listen and reflect

Active listening is central to crisis intervention training. Reflect back what you hear: "It sounds like you haven't slept in days and everything feels like too much." You don't have to agree with what the person believes (for example, that someone is following them) to acknowledge that they feel scared.

Offer small choices

Choices give back a sense of control. "Do you want to sit on the steps or stand over here by the car?" "Would you like your mom to stay out here or wait inside?"

Be truthful

Don't lie or make promises you can't keep. If the person will be taken for an evaluation, don't say "You're just going for a ride." Broken trust is hard to rebuild, both on this call and on the next one.

Phrases to reconsider

Instead of this	Try this
“Calm down.”	“I can see you’re really upset. I’m here to help.”
“Just take your meds.”	“What usually helps when things get this hard?”
“Those voices aren’t real.”	“That sounds frightening. What are they telling you right now?”
“Do this right now or you’re going to jail.”	“Here’s what I’d like us to do next. Can we start with you sitting down?”
Rapid-fire questions	One short question, then a pause

PERF's module specifically cautions against telling someone to "calm down" or "just take your medications," against multiple commands or complex choices, and against whispering, joking, or laughing, which can make a person suspicious or scared. It also warns officers not to automatically treat non-compliance as a threat. A person who doesn't follow instructions may be confused, not defiant.

Ask directly about suicide when there's concern

Suicide detection and prevention is part of the CIT curriculum. If you're worried someone may be thinking about suicide, ask calmly and directly. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that asking someone directly, "Are you thinking of killing yourself?" can be the best way to identify someone at risk, and that studies show asking about suicidal thoughts does not cause or increase them (NIMH). Then listen, stay with the person, and follow your agency's protocol for getting them to care.

Connecting to Mental Health Resources

The best encounters handled with CIT training end with a connection to care, not just a resolved call. Know your local options before you need them:

Mobile crisis teams or co-responder clinicians, where available
Crisis stabilization or receiving centers that accept law enforcement drop-offs
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Since July 16, 2022, people in the U.S. can call or text 988 to reach it, including people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress and those seeking help for loved ones (FCC). Follow local policy on how 988 and 911 coordinate in your area.
Family and natural supports. A trusted person can help with follow-up.

When you leave someone at home, make the handoff concrete: "Here's the number for the crisis line. Your sister is going to stay with you tonight. Can you tell me what you'll do if things get worse?"

Practicing CIT Training Skills Safely

Classroom knowledge is only half of CIT training. The other half is being able to speak slowly and calmly when your own heart rate is climbing. That's why role plays are part of the 40-hour curriculum.

Practicing out loud matters for these skills because:

Slowing down feels unnatural under stress. Repetition makes it familiar.
Wording matters. Hearing yourself say “Are you thinking of killing yourself?” in practice makes it easier to ask on a real call.
Reflection takes practice. Paraphrasing a person’s feelings without sounding scripted is a skill, not a fact.
Feedback sharpens habits. Knowing whether you interrupted, rushed, or stacked questions helps you fix it before the next call.

Scenarios should be written carefully, with input from mental health partners and people with lived experience, and should never mock or exaggerate a condition. Refresher practice between formal courses keeps the skills from fading.

Key Takeaways

CIT training is a 40-hour, community-partnered course that teaches officers to recognize mental health crises, de-escalate, and connect people to care.
Slow down with time, distance, and a calm voice. One question at a time.
Introduce yourself, listen and reflect, offer small choices, and be truthful.
Avoid “calm down,” arguing about beliefs, stacked commands, and joking.
Know your local resources, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and follow local policy on 988 and 911 coordination.
Role-play practice turns CIT principles into habits you can use under stress.

Practice the conversation before the call. Foretell AI from Glimpse Learning gives officers a safe place to rehearse crisis encounters by voice with a carefully scripted, non-clinical AI avatar portraying a person in distress. Each session is scored against your agency's standards for pacing, validation, and avoiding confrontation, so the skills from CIT training stay sharp between courses.