Join the Nevada Opioid Center of Excellence (NOCE) and CIT International for this 8-hour, interactive, online course for 911 call-takers to prepare them for their role in the crisis response system. The course teaches call-takers to identify possible mental health calls, utilize techniques to de-escalate the caller, and triage the call to dispatch appropriate services or complete a warm handoff to crisis services. Call-takers will also learn when it is appropriate to dispatch a CIT officer, and which information should be gathered and relayed to the responding officer. The course culminates in role-play scenarios based on actual mental health calls for service, allowing the participants to practice their skills.
This training is specifically designed for 911 call-takers living and working in rural communities in Nevada. As the first point of contact in a crisis, call-takers play a vital role in diverting callers to appropriate behavioral health services and supporting effective, safe responses by CIT officers. This session will focus on the unique challenges and responsibilities of dispatchers in rural areas, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to be a key part of an integrated crisis response system.
Course Topics
- Understanding the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model
- The role of 911 in a crisis response system
- Signs of a mental health condition
- Suicide assessment and intervention
- Crisis intervention strategies
- Call management
- Scenario-based training
Participant Commitment & Expectations:
- Access to appropriate technology to utilize Zoom video conferencing platform (i.e., an internet connection, webcam, laptop/tablet, speakers and microphone) as well as active participant engagement to gain/improve skills are required.
- Participants must attend the full training in order to earn a certificate of completion. No partial credit will be issued.
Presented by:
Shannon Miera; Shannon Miera retired from the Albuquerque Police Department with 20 years of service as a law enforcement officer. She served the last 6+ years as an instructor and CIT Coordinator with her department’s Crisis Intervention Unit. She is excited to continue her journey with CIT International as the Programs Assistant.
Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., B.C.E.T.S., C.A.T.S.M., F.A.A.E.T.S., President and Founder of C3 Education and Research, Inc. ; Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., B.C.E.T.S., C.A.T.S.M., F.A.A.E.T.S., President and Founder of C3 Education and Research, Inc. has over 27 years of experience training civilians and first responders on over 850 training programs globally across various topics including mental health disorders, verbal de-escalation techniques, and officer wellness. He is an approved CIT instructor for both the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), and the Chicago Police Department, a CIT Coordinator for NAMI – Kenosha, and a QPR Instructor. He is a certified CIT Coordinator with CIT International and founding member of Protecting the Guardian. In 2024, he co-created and instructed the CIT train-the-trainer curriculum for the Ukrainian National Police.
Lisa M. Fitzgerald Public Safety/CIT Instructor and Quality Assurance Specialist; Lisa M. Fitzgerald has over 35 years of service in public safety, having retired in 2021 from her full-time position of Public Safety Communications Supervisor, from the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications Center (CUACECC), in Charlottesville, Virginia. Throughout her retirement, she has continued to teach CIT to
communications staff across the country. Lisa has been a CIT instructor for almost 20 years and has been instrumental in establishing CIT for Dispatchers programs in Virginia and across the country. Lisa teaches CIT for Dispatchers for CIT International, the Trigon Training Group, and the Thomas Jefferson CIT program. In addition to instructing and consulting across the country, she is the Quality Assurance Specialist for CUACECC, where she has ensured the highest standards of operational excellence and effectiveness in emergency communications. Throughout her career, Lisa has promoted the necessity of training 911 communications staff as
our “first, first responders.”
Funding for this activity was made possible in whole or in part by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director’s Office through the Fund for a Resilient Nevada, established in Nevada Revised Statutes 433.712 through 433.744. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in our courses are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Nevada Opioid Center of Excellence or its funders.