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Crisis Services

What is CITAC?

CITAC is a partnership among Colonial Behavioral Health, Riverside Doctors' Hospital Williamsburg and the law enforcement agencies of James City County, City of Poquoson, City of Williamsburg, York County and the College of William & Mary.

The program focuses on enhancing community collaboration while developing effective programs and responses to individuals with mental health issues. Crisis Intervention Team training is aimed at improving criminal justice and the mental health system responses to crises.

The CIT program is a nationally recognized program that provides law enforcement officers advanced training to triage behavioral health emergencies.  These officers work in conjunction with Colonial Behavioral Health’s CIT Assessment Center (CITAC). 

At the CITAC, officers have the ability to transport persons (when needed) who are in behavioral health crisis to a safe and caring environment for a higher level of assessment by a trained clinician. 

Persons in the community can call the CBH 24/7 Crisis Services line (757-378-5555) to coordinate for a friend or family member to get help with a behavioral health crisis.

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How CITAC Works

Call 757-378-5555 while in the field

Colonial Behavioral Health Crisis Services is on-call 24/7. Call us as soon as you encounter someone in crisis to consult with us. The on-call service provider will let you know if CITAC is available. You may also call law enforcement or your local magistrate to inquire if an Emergency Custody Order (ECO) to have your loved one assessed is appropriate.

After you have been advised an assessment is necessary;

CITAC is available daily. If you are directed to CITAC, go to the Emergency Department at Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg.

CITAC will be ready for your arrival

When you arrive at the ambulance entrance at Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg, a room will be ready for the client and the team will be on standby. The CITAC officer will consult with you and discuss a transfer of custody or available treatment options.

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training?

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training is a 40-hour program developed to provide advanced behavioral health intervention skills to law enforcement to promote better and more effective outcomes as they encounter persons in need of psychiatric service.

The program enhances community collaboration, develops effective infrastructure and provides outstanding training to improve criminal justice and mental health system response to individuals with mental health issues.


CIT represents a major step forward in acknowledging that mental illness is a disease - and recognizing the fact that arrest is not always an appropriate response to someone whose behavior is directly related to symptoms of their disease.

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Program Overview

Program Goals

  • To improve interactions between law enforcement and persons with mental illness.
  • To prevent stigmatization of persons with mental illness.
  • To reduce the risk of injury to officers, family members and individuals in crisis.
  • To link individuals with mental illness to appropriate treatment and resources in the community.
  • To reduce concerns among family and friends through education that there are specially trained officers that can de-escalate the situation.
  • To reduce the stigma of mental illness by distinguishing the difference between symptoms of mental illness and crime.

Training

Officers participate in an intensive training program which provides information on: signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, medication and treatment, suicide assessment and prevention, mental health issues in children and among the elderly, alcohol and drug assessments and issues, and de-escalation techniques.

This is achieved through classroom and role-playing training with mental health providers, local law enforcement and advocates.

Program Goals

  • To improve interactions between law enforcement and persons with mental illness.
  • To prevent stigmatization of persons with mental illness.
  • To reduce the risk of injury to officers, family members and individuals in crisis.
  • To link individuals with mental illness to appropriate treatment and resources in the community.
  • To reduce concerns among family and friends through education that there are specially trained officers that can de-escalate the situation.
  • To reduce the stigma of mental illness by distinguishing the difference between symptoms of mental illness and crime.

Training

Officers participate in an intensive training program which provides information on: signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, medication and treatment, suicide assessment and prevention, mental health issues in children and among the elderly, alcohol and drug assessments and issues, and de-escalation techniques.

This is achieved through classroom and role-playing training with mental health providers, local law enforcement and advocates.