Fall 2014

How to talk about suicide

Over the past few weeks,
suicide has become a highly
talked about issue. It has
permeated our televisions, our
Internet, and our social media.
But why does it take the
tragedy of losing someone like
Robin Williams to make people
comfortable with talking about
suicide?
Annually, suicide claims the
lives of more people than
homicide and HIV combined,
with over 1 million adults









Inside This Issue
2: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Learn more about what this
organization does for suicide
2,3: Should police be first responders? Are the police adequately trained
to respond to those who suffer from mental illness?
3: What is CIT? Learn about Crisis Intervention Teams in the police force
Health and Behavioral Health
"A new commandment I give
to you, that you love one
another, even as I have
loved you, that you also
love one another

John 13:34




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Who should call?
If you feel you are in a crisis,
whether or not you are thinking
about killing yourself, please call
the Lifeline. People have called
for help with substance abuse,
economic worries, relationship
and family problems, sexual
orientation, illness, getting over
abuse, depression, mental and
physical illness, and even
loneliness.
What else does the NPSL do?
Check out this link to find
local contacts, resources,
and events in your area
for Suicide Prevention.
If youre having trouble
talking to the man in your
life, you can check out the
new website by National
Prevention Suicide
Lifeline: mantherapy.org
for tips or forward it on to
the man in your life.
Most often, police are the first
responders to the scene of a
crime; leading police officers
to frequently take on roles
outside their title as police
officer.
The US police respond to,
while on duty, 7-10% of all
their calls for a person with a
mental illness. Reports have
shown wide disparities
skewed disproportionally
high in arrest on these calls,
mostly for minor offenses such
as trespassing or disorderly
conduct. Many police report
resorting to arrest because
they feel that they have no
other alternatives. However,
by utilizing jail as an
alterative, those who are
suffering from a mental
disability are being
disconnected from treatment
and community resources,
which could send them into a
cycle of being in and out of the
criminal justice system.
With that in mind, it is no
wonder research has shown that
people with a mental illness
have negative perceptions of
the police, often associating
them with fear, distrust, and
feeling vulnerable.
However, some police squads
are turning a new leaf and
training their police to be
different.
Should police be first responders to
people suffering from mental
disorders?

3

They are teaching Crisis
Intervention Training.
Pioneered by the Memphis
Police Department, there are
now over 1079 CIT teams
worldwide.
These CIT teams are
specifically trained to be the
first responders when the
crisis is involving someone
who has a mental disability.
Studies have shown that when
a CIT team is used that the

arrest rates decrease, the
officers report that they feel
more competent when
responding to a crisis.
By keeping those with mental
disorders out of the criminal
justice system as providers we
are able to connect with them
better, especially if we can
connect with a CIT team if they
are available in our areas. For
more information about CIT,
read What is CIT?

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
The goal of this newsletter is to share stories, trends, and practices
with each other. If you have any ideas for a write up, or would like
to contribute to our next newsletter, contact Fr. Ragan Schriver at:
rschriver@catholiccharitiesusa.org

What is CIT?
Crisis. Intervention. Team.
CIT programs typically provide 40
hours of training for law
enforcement on how to better
respond to people experiencing a
mental health crisis. Equally
important, CIT programs provide
a forum for partner organizations
to coordinate diversion from jails
to mental health services.
Now there is a CIT for Youth.
CIT for youth is an expansion of
the CIT model that specifically
addresses the needs of children
and youth. Training for CIT Youth
includes topics unique to the
needs of children and youth,
including child and adolescent
brain development, self-injury,
suicide and youth-focus role-plays
and community resources.

Find a CIT in your area HERE
For more information on how to
get a CIT team in your area, click
HERE