Third Class Trained as Part of Maui Crisis Intervention Team

2nd Class – MPD Crisis Intervention Team, 8/9/13. Photo courtesy Dr. Dara Rampersad, forensic coordinator of the Maui Community Health Center, who served as a trainer for the program.

By Wendy Osher

The Maui Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team will add new members to its list of trained personnel with a third class to undergo training April 11-17, 2014.

The program was the first-of-its-kind in the state when it launched with an inaugural class in January of last year.

Since then, an additional 19 members joined the team in August of 2013, bringing to 34 the number of patrol officers on the road with specialized training in mental health.

The team, trained under the guidance of Maui County Forensic Coordinator Dr. Dara Rampersad, utilizes community partnerships to better respond to critical incidents involving individuals with mental illness.

[flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BOW1BSES3E /] Officials with the Maui Police Department say the CIT handles incidents involving the mentally ill and those in crisis with care and expertise, ensuring that such individuals receive a response which is appropriate to the needs of the person involved.

Police say the hands-on training addresses response to mental health issues, identification, assistance, referral and follow up.

In addition to police and dispatchers from the Maui Police Department, participants also include personnel from the Honolulu Police Department, Hawaiʻi Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Maui Fire Department, Maui Memorial Medical Center security staff, and the Maui Prosecutor’s Office.

***Maui Now file video from inaugural CIT graduation in Jan. 2013.

Maui Police Chief Gary Yabuta addresses graduates during a ceremony recognizing members of the department’s new Crisis Intervention Team. File photo by Wendy Osher, Aug. 2013.