For over a decade, Interim, Inc. has played a pivotal role in the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Academy, a program vital to equipping law enforcement officers in Monterey County with tools to handle mental health crises compassionately. The CIT Academy, organized biannually by Monterey County Behavioral Health (MCBH), fosters improved outcomes in encounters between officers and individuals facing mental health challenges, emphasizing de-escalation, safety, and connection to appropriate services.
Central to Interim’s involvement is its commitment to sharing specialized expertise on homelessness and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Interim, Inc. program leaders such as Will Smith and Trozki Varela actively contribute to training sessions, offering strategies for law enforcement to engage individuals who are marginalized or unhoused with dignity and understanding.
Sue Degraw, a dedicated speaker from Interim’s Success Over Stigma (SOS) program, highlighted the profound influence of CIT on fostering empathy and effective crisis response. Recalling a personal encounter, Degraw shared how an officer trained through CIT transformed her own experience during a traffic stop: “I started having a panic attack. Noticing I was visibly shaking and hyperventilating, the officer calmly asked about my condition and then began talking about fishing to ease my anxiety.” This empathetic response prevented escalation and underscored the power of CIT in building trust between law enforcement and community members.
Interim’s contributions to CIT extend beyond its Success Over Stigma initiative. The organization’s Voice Hearing Experience sessions, led by Interim, Inc. experts like Sandra Pena and Idalia Matthews, immerse officers in simulated auditory hallucinations to help them better understand the lived experiences of individuals with psychosis. This fosters a deeper sense of empathy and equips officers with practical techniques to respond effectively in high-stress situations.
In addition to role-playing exercises, the Success Over Stigma Panel invites individuals with lived experience to share their stories, reducing stigma and humanizing mental health struggles for the trainees. Feedback from these panels is often emotional, with officers expressing a newfound appreciation for the complexities of mental illness.
Interim has also strengthened ties with local law enforcement by inviting officers to tour its Pajaro Street Wellness Center. These visits provide insight into the array of services available to individuals in crisis, further promoting collaboration between law enforcement and mental health providers. Such initiatives ensure that officers are not only equipped to de-escalate situations but are also empowered to connect individuals to long-term support.
The Crisis Intervention Team Academy, with its comprehensive curriculum and dedication to collaboration, has become a cornerstone of public safety in Monterey County. Through its continued involvement, Interim underscores the importance of empathy, education, and partnership in creating a community where law enforcement can respond to crises with understanding and care. As Degraw aptly put it, “An officer’s empathy and knowledge can change the outcome”—a mission Interim wholeheartedly embodies.