1. Have you ever called a police officer to deal with you or a member of your family in mental health crisis? If so, what was your experience?
2. The CIT program was established because of an unfortunate killing of a mentally ill person by a police officer in Memphis, Tennesses. Have you read of such incidents in your own community? Do you think this is the best way of handling them?
3. An important part of CIT is having officers hear from family members and consumers who have had these experiences. Why do you think this is such an important piece of the training?
4. Officer Neff pointed out that CIT is more than just a training; it is an ongoing collaboration between police and family advocates. Explain why you think this is significant in the success of the program.
5. An interesting part of the presentation is that it actually saves money for the police departments in the long run. Why do you think this is so? Might this be a good selling point for other police departments?
6. Mark Rahman told about the difference between two situations when his family had called the police because of a family problem, one where the officer was not CIT trained and another when the officer was CIT trained. What did you think about the difference?
7. Mark Rahman also explained that the transition was from an adversarial relationship to a spirit of cooperation. Why might this be?
8. Sharon Kuehn explained that with CIT, consumers are treated with more respect. How do you think this effects the eventual outcome of the mental health crisis?
9. If you had contact with police in a mental health crisis situation in the past, would you consider telling about it to a class of police? Why or why not?
10. Is there anything different that you will do in a crisis situation after having listened to this show?

For resources see: Resources Mentioned in the Show

Disclaimer:
These questions are to provide family and peer discussion and education. The information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or psychological condition. If you think someone is too fragile to be part of the discussion, please have them consult their mental health care provider for individual advice regarding the situation.