Crisis Intervention School Nets Montco Police Award

TOWAMENCIN TOWNSHIP, PA — The police department covering this central Montgomery County community was recently given an award for its completion of the Crisis Intervention School, which works to build officers' skills around issues of mental health when dealing with members of the public.

The Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors last week acknowledged its police department for reaching 100 percent completion of the program, which is designed to ensure local police officers have the skills and education to deal with mental illness and decrease the likelihood of criminal justice involvement when dealing with individuals who are in crisis.

"This school teaches trainees how to interact with individuals in crisis and provides guidance on county resources," the police department posted to Facebook.

During last week's meeting, representatives from the Montgomery County Emergency Service and the Montgomery County Office of Mental Health were on hand to congratulate the department members for their completion of the program.

"It's a great honor to be here," Michelle Monzo, of the Montgomery County Emergency Service, said at last week's supervisors' meeting.

Monzo pointed out that the crisis intervention program is not mandated by the commonwealth or Montgomery County, but rather is completely voluntary, so the fact that the Towamencin Police Department opted to participate shows its dedication to improved relations with the community.

"They really have investment in this," Monzo said. "It's not a check-off-the-box training. This has been an ongoing relationship with your police department. We really have established a relationship and that's what makes this work."

Monzo said the officers are really dedicated, "not just to people who have mental health issues ... but just people in crisis. That's what this school is about. How can they keep not only themselves safe, but your community safe. And they're really invested in this."

Also in attendance at the meeting was Anna Trout, from the Montgomery County Office of Mental Health.

Trout said her office was incredibly grateful for partnerships with police departments like Towamencin, which are dedicated to getting the proper training for its officers, so they possess the tools needed to deal with individuals in crisis and to avoid unintended outcomes.

Trout spoke about some of the things officers learning during the school, such as de-escalation techniques and how to tap into various resources offered by the county and the state.

"These folks have become invaluable resources to the mental health system," Trout said.

Monzo pointed out that getting 100 percent of officers in a department through a training like this is "not easy."

"It's a lot more complicated than people think," Monzo said.

Police officials at the meeting confirmed that as law enforcement personnel, they deal with individuals who are in crisis or having mental health issues on a pretty frequent basis and having the proper tools with which to handle these types of calls is invaluable.

The two women then presented a plaque award to Chief Tim Troxel recognizing members of his department for their achievement.