Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
 Patrol Operation Bureau
-CIT/CISM Section

National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pinellas County, Florida (NAMI)

34 Graduates from:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
St. Petersburg Police Department
Clearwater Police Department
Largo Police Department
Pinellas Park Police Department
University of South Florida (USF), St. Petersburg Campus
Gulfport Police Department
Veterans Administration (VA) Police

What:
All is set for the graduation ceremony of the Pinellas County Crisis Intervention Team.

When:
The ceremony will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2015.

Where:
The ceremony will be held at Suncoast Hospice-Empath Health located at 5771 Roosevelt Boulevard in Largo.

Why/How:
34 individuals representing eight law enforcement agencies will graduate from the Pinellas County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program on October 23, 2015.

St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway will deliver the keynote address.

This is the 16th year since the establishment of CIT in Pinellas County.

In 1999, Pinellas County Mental Health/Substance Abuse Coalition conducted the first CIT course in Florida and has been instrumental in promoting the program throughout the state.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program is a specialized training and practice for first-responder law enforcement officers in how to properly and safely handle situations involving persons with mental illness. The cornerstone of CIT is a 40-hour course taught, free of charge, by mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, persons with a mental illness diagnosis and advocates.

The training includes essential information about mental illnesses and how to recognize it; information about the local mental health system and state laws; de-escalation skills; and the opportunity to learn first-hand from consumers and family members about their experiences.

Media is invited to cover. For additional information contact the Sheriff’s Public Information Office at (727) 582-6221.