Six law enforcement officers from agencies in Polk and Henderson Counties are now better equipped to respond to people with issues related to mental illness, alcohol or drug use or a developmental disability.

The officers completed Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training from Oct. 5-9 at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. Participating officers were: Valerie O’Brien, Donald Perine, Todd McCrain and Anthony W. Burns with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office/Detention Center and Kenneth Hamby and Kelly Condrey with the Columbus Police Department.

The training was provided at no cost by Smoky Mountain LME/MCO (Smoky), a public managed healthcare organization. Key partners included Thrive and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Henderson County sheriff’s deputy Capt. Jim Player served as the law enforcement co-facilitator.

Smoky has trained more than 650 western North Carolina officers and first responders in CIT. The training helps officers better communicate with people with issues related to mental illness, alcohol or drug use or developmental disabilities and can increase both citizen and officer safety, help people get treatment and reduce arrests.

Between 25 and 40 percent of Americans with mental illness will pass through the criminal justice system at some point, according to NAMI. The first CIT program, a collaborative effort among law enforcement, advocates and mental health communities, was established in 1988 in Memphis, Tenn.

-Submitted by Rachel E. Leonard-Spencer