CENTRAL ILLINOIS POLICE TRAINING CENTER

Brian Fengel, Director

Phone: (309) 690-7355
Fax: (309) 690-7359
Heather Grove: hgrove@icc.edu

Diane Schrementi: ds018b@icc.edu

Robert Pyszka: rp717@icc.edu

ILETSB – Intro to CIT Training – Mental Health Awareness & Response

Instructor: Emily Hejna

April 16, 2026

 8am – 5pm

 Class will meet at Peru PD, Training Room 2650 North Peoria, Peru, IL

Enrollment Deadline: April 9, 2026

Course Size:  Minimum – 15 Maximum – 25

All Handouts on Thumb Drive, bring laptop to follow along

Course Objective

Law Enforcement officers have an important role to play in their interactions with community members. This means responding to incidents with individuals who have mental health issues, including diagnosed mental illness. This 8-hour course is meant to provide law enforcement officers with an awareness of mental health issues including a history of the mental health system, types of mental illness, signs and symptoms, common treatments and medications, and the potential interactions law enforcement may have on a regular basis with these individuals, their families, and service providers.

Course Content

Recognize the history of the mental health system and its impact on law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Define mental illness-

-Differentiate myths and facts associated with mental illness, including common misconceptions.

-Examine the stigma associated with mental illness

Identify common forms of mental illness likely to be encountered including symptoms and behaviors of each.

-Recognize the implications of co-occurring disorders

-examine the components of a crisis

Differentiate treatment modalities for mental illness

-Recognize treatment options that assist individuals to live independently

-Demonstrate understanding of different types of medications

Increase awareness of appropriate law enforcement interaction with individuals who have mental illness.

Mobile In-Service Training Team#7 Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

MTU 7 request for certification of this course has been approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

Meets the following mandatory training criteria: 50 Hours – Civil Rights, .50 hours – Const. Use of LE Authority 2.50 hours – Crisis Intervention, .50 hours – Human Rights, .50 hours – Legal Updates,  1 hour – Officer Wellness/Mental Health, 1 hour – Procedural Justice, 1 hour – De-Escalation techniques, 1 hour – Officer Safety Techniques, including cover, concealment and time.