Abstract
The present study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training curriculum among law enforcement and correctional officers. A panel research design was used in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and 1 month following their completion of CIT training (follow-up). These surveys measured the extent to which CIT training achieved several officer-level objectives, including increased knowledge of mental illness, improved self-efficacy when responding to mental health crises, and enhanced perceptions of verbal de-escalation skills. The results of these surveys revealed that the training effectively achieved these objectives in the short term, but a measurable decay was found in the follow-up time frame with regard to self-efficacy and perceptions of verbal de-escalation.
Mental illness is a public policy concern that pervades every facet of the public sector in communities around the United States. Individuals with a mental illness often cycle through various systems of care throughout their lifetime. The responsibilities of intervening, managing, and treating this population are shared by numerous mechanisms of formal social control, including the criminal justice system. Understanding how the criminal justice system responds to persons with a mental illness is paramount to developing the most effective and appropriate intervention strategies. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a formal criminal justice response to mental illness across nine counties in Florida. The Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model has been widely adopted across the country and around the world. Therefore, gaining an understanding of the true effectiveness of this model contributes to the literature surrounding this widespread criminal justice program.
While the criminal justice system was originally developed solely to enforce the law and punish wrongdoers, the responsibilities of this system have expanded over time. Due to dramatic policy changes in the mental health field over the last few decades, agents of the criminal justice system are now frequently faced with the challenge of intervening and managing situations involving persons with a mental illness. Specifically, deinstitutionalization, the tightening of civil commitment laws, and inadequate community treatment alternatives have collectively increased the visibility of persons with a mental illness on urban streets around the country since the 1960s and 1970s (Erickson & Erickson, 2008; Teplin, 1984). This trend has not been accompanied by a greater tolerance of this population by the general public. The dangerousness stigma attached to the erratic and disruptive behavior that is often associated with mental illness frequently compels citizens to invoke the criminal justice system to manage incidents involving this population that occur in the community (Angermeyer, Cooper, & Link, 1998; Erickson & Erickson, 2008; Horwitz, 2002; Phelan & Link, 1998; Schnittker, 2000; Teplin, 1984).
According to the Council of State Governments (2002) in the Criminal Justice Mental Health Consensus Project, law enforcement officers typically encounter persons with a serious mental illness in one of the following scenarios: (a) as a victim of a crime, (b) as a witness to a crime, (c) as the subject of a call for assistance, (d) as a suspected offender, and (e) as a danger to themselves or others. An estimated 7% to 10% of all police contacts involve a person with a mental illness (Borum, Deanne, Steadman, & Morissey, 1998; Wells & Schafer, 2006). Results from a survey of law enforcement officers from three different agencies indicated that approximately 92% reported having responded to at least one mental health crisis in the month prior to the survey, with 84% reportedly responding to more than one of these incidents during the same time frame (Borum et al., 1998). Likewise, people with a mental illness often report coming into contact with law enforcement, with many of them having been arrested at least once (Borum, 2000).
Many communities lack dispositional alternatives to arrest for persons with a mental illness engaging in maladaptive, criminal behavior. While this behavior may be a manifestation of the individual’s mental illness, law enforcement officers must frequently resort to arrest when responding to these calls for service. As a result, the burden of caring for and managing this population has been largely transferred to correctional facilities. When estimating the prevalence of mental illness found among the currently incarcerated population, prior studies have found rates ranging from as low as 14% to as high as 64% (Ditton, 1999; James & Glaze, 2006; Wilper et al., 2009). The estimates vary dramatically based on the inmates sampled, measures utilized, and methodologies used, making it difficult to obtain a precise prevalence figure. With regard to serious mental illness, Aderibigbe (1997) asserts that the rate of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder among jail and prison inmates is nearly three times greater than the general population.
In Florida, the statistics follow the nationwide trend for the rates of arrest and incarceration found among persons with a mental illness. According to a report presented by the Florida Supreme Court (2007), approximately 125,000 individuals booked into Florida jails each year have a diagnosed mental illness. This report also states that roughly 23% of county jail inmates and 17% of prison inmates in the State of Florida have a serious mental illness. This translates to approximately 16,000 prison inmates and 15,000 local jail inmates with a serious mental illness on any given day in Florida (Florida Supreme Court, 2007).
These figures enumerate the breadth of mental illness as a social problem that pervades the criminal justice system throughout the country and in Florida specifically. The disproportionate rates of arrest and incarceration found among persons with a mental illness have compelled members of the criminal justice system to collaborate with mental health advocates and practitioners to develop diversionary strategies to mitigate this issue. The focus of the present study is to conduct a program evaluation of the Memphis CIT model, a diversionary program that was developed to improve the criminal justice response to persons with a mental illness.
The Memphis CIT Model
The Memphis CIT model was established in the late 1980s following the fatal police shooting of an individual with a history of mental illness. In September of 1987, law enforcement officers in Memphis responded to a call for service involving an individual with a history of mental illness. This individual was wielding a knife and threatening to harm himself. The officers demanded that he drop the knife, at which time he ran toward the officers with the knife in-hand. In response to this threat, the officers fired several shots that resulted in the death of the individual. Following this incident, mental health advocates and the general public expressed tremendous concern surrounding the manner in which the police were managing mental health crises in the community. To quell their concerns, the Memphis Mayor established a task force comprised of representatives from law enforcement agencies, the mental health system, advocates, and academic contributors. This collaborative task force sought to develop a program that would effectively reduce the likelihood of injury to the officer and the person in crisis. The additional goals of criminal justice diversion and increasing access to mental health treatment were also on the agenda (Compton, Broussard, et al., 2011).
The Memphis CIT model emerged as a comprehensive strategy to enhance the criminal justice response to mental health crises. The two defining elements of this program are a 40-hr specialized police-based training curriculum and a community-wide partnership between the criminal justice and mental health systems (Compton, Bahora, Watson, & Oliva, 2008; Wells & Schafer, 2006). There are currently more than 400 jurisdictions employing the CIT model throughout the country and approximately 1,500 CIT programs in existence around the world (Compton, Broussard, et al., 2011). These figures enumerate the widespread adoption and diffusion of this strategy in the field of criminal justice.
The voluntary 40-hr Memphis CIT training program is designed to provide law enforcement officers with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and manage mental health crises (Borum, 2000; Compton, Broussard, et al., 2011; Florida CIT Coalition, 2005). This training includes presentations from local mental health providers, legal experts, advocacy organizations, and consumers of mental health services. Officers are also given the opportunity to tour local mental health facilities to gain insight into the functioning of the mental health system in their communities. One additional component of the training involves learning and practicing verbal de-escalation skills that are deemed useful when responding to situations involving persons with a mental illness. The training component of the Memphis CIT model empowers first-responders to resolve mental health crises effectively by diverting individuals into a treatment setting as opposed to the traditional criminal justice setting, when appropriate (Borum, 2000; Compton, Broussard, et al., 2011; Wells & Schafer, 2006).
While the training program was originally intended solely for street-level law enforcement officers, correctional officers and other first-responders are now being integrated into the training classes. Of particular importance for the present study is the decision to provide CIT training to correctional officers to address the continual flow of inmates with mental illnesses and the accompanying prevalence of mental health crises in these institutions. With the expansion to the correctional domain, CIT can now be conceptualized as a tool that is being utilized throughout the criminal justice system to improve the system-wide response to persons with serious mental illnesses.
Existing Literature on the Memphis CIT Model
Prior research surrounding the Memphis CIT model has focused almost exclusively on the effectiveness of this program within the law enforcement setting. According to Compton et al. (2011), the existing literature can be consolidated into three main categories: (a) officer-level outcomes, (b) disposition of CIT calls, and (c) mental health referral characteristics and outcomes. The officer-level studies have evaluated the extent to which the program is effectively achieving the objectives of the 40-hr training curriculum. According to the Florida CIT Coalition (2005), the first goal of CIT training is to increase officers’ knowledge of mental illnesses and available community resources. An additional goal of the training is to increase officers’ confidence in managing incidents involving a person with a mental illness. Third, the training is intended to provide officers with verbal de-escalation skills that they can use in the future to effectively diffuse a mental health crisis. Reduced use of force and decreased incidence of officer and subject injuries are also desired outcomes of CIT training (Borum, 2000; Compton, Neubert et al., 2011).
One of the most important goals of the Memphis CIT model is related to the preferred disposition of calls for service involving persons with a mental illness. The criminal justice diversionary element of the CIT program seeks to increase officers’ utilization of the psychiatric referral process and decrease their tendency to arrest persons with a mental illness (Franz & Borum, 2011; Teller, Munetz, Gil, & Ritter, 2006). In addition, a long-term objective of the Memphis CIT model is improved mental health outcomes for persons with a mental illness encountering law enforcement (Broussard, McGriff, Neubert, D’Orio, & Compton, 2010; Compton, Broussard et al., 2011; Strauss et al., 2005). However, tracking these individuals through the mental health system and measuring mental health outcomes is a daunting task. Thus, researchers evaluating this objective of the CIT model have focused on comparing the characteristics of mental health referrals initiated by CIT officers to those initiated by other sources to identify the extent to which these officers are appropriately referring individuals with a mental illness to treatment.
To summarize the officer-level studies, the Memphis CIT model has been linked to reduced stigma associated with mental illness and improved self-efficacy among officers when handling mental health crises (Bahora, Hanafi, Chien, & Compton, 2008; Compton, Esterberg, McGee, Kotwicki, & Oliva, 2006; Hanafi, Bahora, Demir, & Compton, 2008; Teller et al., 2006). Specifically, a study conducted by Bahora et al. (2008) explored the relationship between CIT training and reduced mental illness stigma among officers. They evaluated this relationship by measuring the social distance reported by officers in their interactions with persons with schizophrenia. Social distance is a form of stigma that measures one’s comfort level in terms of how close they are willing to be to a person with a mental illness. Bahora et al. (2008) used vignettes to compare the responses of 40 officers prior to and after receiving CIT training to 34 non-CIT-trained officers in terms of their reported social distance when responding to scenarios involving a person with a mental illness. They found that social distance decreased after officers received CIT training. Decreased social distance and reduced stigma were also supported by other studies examining the officer-level effects of CIT training (Compton et al., 2006; Hanafi et al., 2008; Teller et al., 2006).
To assess whether CIT training achieved the intended improved self-efficacy outcome, Wells and Schafer (2006) distributed surveys to law enforcement officers before and after they participated in the training. The results of their study indicated a statistically significant increase in officers’ perceptions of their ability to manage situations involving persons with a mental illness following their completion of CIT training. In addition, there was a slight increase in officers’ perceptions of their ability to communicate with persons with a mental illness and their family members (Wells & Schafer, 2006). Similar findings were presented by Bahora et al. (2008) and Hanafi et al. (2008) in their respective studies of CIT training effectiveness.
An additional intended objective of CIT training is improved officer knowledge of mental illness and an enhanced ability to recognize and resolve issues involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis following the training (Compton & Chien, 2008; Compton et al., 2006; Hanafi et al., 2008; Wells & Schafer, 2006). Several studies have utilized basic knowledge tests derived from the standard CIT curriculum to assess knowledge gain and retention among officers participating in the training. Results from these studies indicate that CIT training improves knowledge of certain mental health conditions and the mental health referral process (Compton & Chien, 2008; Compton et al., 2006; Wells & Schafer, 2006). Furthermore, Compton and Chien (2008) administered a knowledge test to officers at the conclusion of CIT training and 1 year following their completion of CIT training in an effort to identify factors associated with knowledge retention. While they found a slight decrease in knowledge between these two points in time, the only factor associated with the knowledge decline was officer years of service, indicating less experienced officers had lower follow-up scores when compared with more experienced officers (Compton & Chien, 2008).
The CIT model has also been shown to effectively reduce the use of force and the incidence of officer and offender injury in mental health crises (Borum, 2000; Compton, Neubert, et al., 2011; Morabito et al., 2010; Skeem & Bibeau, 2008). A study conducted by Morabito, et al. (2010) explored the relationship between CIT training and use of force among law enforcement officers in Chicago. Morabito et al. (2010) conducted interviews with 216 officers in several Chicago districts, in which they asked several questions pertaining to the level of force used in their most recent encounter with an individual with a mental illness. One particular research question of interest was the role of CIT training in the decision to use force. They found that CIT-trained officers were much less likely to use force as a person became more resistant when compared with non-CIT-trained officers. This finding suggests that CIT-trained officers may be more patient and tolerant of noncompliant behavior as a result of their training. An additional outcome of CIT training that is related to use of force is the implementation of CIT in certain jurisdictions has decreased the utilization of high-intensity police units (SWAT [special weapons and tactics]; Bower & Pettit, 2001; Dupont & Cochran, 2000).
The second category of existing CIT research concerns the disposition of calls for service involving a person with a mental illness. With regard to the disposition of mental health disturbance calls, research suggests that CIT-trained officers are significantly more likely than non-CIT-trained officers to initiate a mental health referral (Teller et al., 2006; Watson, Morabito, Draine, & Otatti, 2008; Watson et al., 2010). However, there is conflicting evidence surrounding whether CIT actually reduces rates of arrest. While Franz and Borum (2011) posit that the implementation of CIT reduces the rate of arrest among persons with a mental illness, other researchers suggest that there is very little difference in arrest rates before and after CIT implementation (Teller et al., 2006). In addition, existing research indicates that any differential arrest rates among CIT and non-CIT-trained officers are miniscule (Teller et al., 2006; Watson et al., 2008; Watson et al., 2010). However, when compared with other law enforcement diversionary models, CIT has demonstrated the lowest arrest rate for persons with a mental illness (Steadman, Deane, Borum, & Morrissey, 2000).
The final category of the extant literature evaluating the Memphis CIT model includes studies examining the characteristics and outcomes for psychiatric referrals initiated by CIT-trained officers. Studies evaluating this component of the CIT model have thoroughly reviewed medical charts from psychiatric facilities and emergency rooms to determine whether psychiatric referral was an appropriate disposition for these individuals. Findings from studies examining the mental health characteristics and outcomes of those diverted through the Memphis CIT model indicate that CIT-trained officers are utilizing the psychiatric referral process appropriately (Broussard et al., 2010; Strauss et al., 2005). In addition, these studies have indicated that CIT-trained officers are correctly identifying the calls for service involving a person with a mental illness that need to be resolved through a mental health referral.
CIT in Corrections
As mentioned previously, existing research has focused primarily on the effectiveness of the CIT model within the law enforcement setting. However, in 2004, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) partnered with the Maine Health Access Foundation and local officials in Androscoggin County, Maine, to launch a pilot study to examine the effectiveness of the CIT model in the local jail (Public Health Research Institute, 2005). The goal was to determine whether the benefits derived from this training program for police officers could also benefit correctional officers in their daily interactions with inmates with mental illnesses. The researchers utilized official reports and focus group data to conduct a process and outcome evaluation of CIT in the Androscoggin County Jail.
The findings from this study provided empirical support for the implementation of this program in jails. Correctional officers expressed an appreciation for the new skills and knowledge acquired through the training. They also indicated that they felt better prepared to handle a mental health crisis within the jail following the training. In addition, the correctional officers reported an increased use of verbal de-escalation and a decreased use of physical or chemical force when responding to incidents involving inmates with a mental illness following CIT training (Public Health Research Institute, 2005). Due to the demonstrated success of this study, an expansion project was supported that entailed the implementation of CIT in eight county jails across the state of Maine. The findings of this project provided further support for the utilization of CITs in jails, as they replicated the findings stemming from the Androscoggin County Jail study (University of New England Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research, 2007).
There are several limitations to the existing literature surrounding the CIT model. First, most of the studies just cited examined relatively small sample sizes covering a narrow geographical area, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. Second, only a select few incorporated a control group or employed a pre-/posttest research design, both of which are considered best practices for a program evaluation study. In addition, the limited testing of potential confounding variables further constricts the quality of the findings generated from these studies. Finally, only two empirical studies to date have examined the effectiveness of the Memphis CIT model in the correctional setting, both of which were conducted in the same geographical area. Therefore, additional research is needed to explore the relative effectiveness of this model in other jails around the country.
The present study seeks to address several of the shortcomings outlined in this review of the literature. First, this study evaluates the effectiveness of the training among a sample of law enforcement and correctional officers across a broad geographical region, which has not been done previously in the same study setting. This unique component of the study fosters a deeper understanding of the comparative effectiveness of CIT training across these two groups of first-responders in the criminal justice system. Second, the methodological strategies previously used meet the minimal standard for evidence-based practices set forth by Taxman and Belenko (2012). The panel research design utilized in the present study seeks to enhance the evidence base surrounding this topic by assessing change on several measures of training effectiveness over time. This evaluation approach is useful for capturing knowledge and skill improvement, as well as retention. Finally, this study contributes to the literature by examining the relationship between officers’ demographic characteristics and training effects, an important consideration cited by Watson et al. (2008) in the CIT context.
Prior research suggests that the incorporation of demographic variables is essential to controlling for possible mediating or confounding variables when evaluating the effectiveness of a training program (Blume, Ford, Baldwin, & Huang, 2010; Ozturk, 2011; Severiens & Ten Dam, 1994). In their meta-analysis summarizing the transfer of training literature, Blume et al. (2010) noted that demographic characteristics of trainees influence knowledge retention and skill application in the occupational training. In the context of policing, officer characteristics such as gender, age, and years of service have been identified as factors associated with self-efficacy, decision making, and receptivity to training (Brandi & Stroshine, 2013; Garner, Maxwell, & Heraux, 2002; Kakar, 2002; Ozturk, 2011). According to Ozturk (2011), demographic characteristics are indicators of differential background experiences and learning styles that influence the effectiveness of police training. By incorporating a panel research design, including correctional officers in the sample, and assessing the influence of individual officer characteristics on training outcomes, the present study involves a more extensive evaluation of the CIT training program than attempted previously and provides a unique contribution to the CIT literature.
Method
Research Questions and Hypotheses
The program evaluation conducted in this study measured the extent to which the CIT training curriculum is achieving the intended officer-level objectives. In addition, this study seeks to examine the relative effectiveness of the training among a sample of correctional officers when compared with law enforcement officers. The following hypotheses that were tested in this study reflect the training objectives laid forth by the Florida CIT Coalition 1 :
Research Design
This study utilized a panel research design with three data collection points: (a) pretest (first day of the training), (b) posttest (last day of training), and (c) follow-up (1 month following completion of the training). According to Kirkpatrick (1976), the before-and-after approach to program evaluation is the most effective method for gaining insight into the true effectiveness of a training program. This research design sheds light on the extent to which the training is achieving its intended objectives by comparing the baseline scores on the variables of interest at the pretest to scores on the posttest and follow-up questionnaires to measure any changes in responses that can be attributed to the training program.
For the pre- and posttest data collection points, paper questionnaires (PAPI—Pencil and Paper Interview) were distributed in-person to all of the officers attending the training sessions on the first and last days of the training. The initial survey included four main sections: (a) demographics, (b) basic knowledge of mental illness, (c) perceptions of self-efficacy, and (d) perceptions of verbal de-escalation. This survey also contained questions pertaining to how they first learned about CIT, what prompted them to attend the class, their prior exposure to mental illness, and previous mental health training. The survey administered at the conclusion of the training included sections two, three, and four from the initial survey.
A follow-up survey was constructed using the online survey (CASI—Computer-Assisted Self-Interview) development software Qualtrics. A link to this survey was distributed via email to officers who responded to the previous surveys 1 month after they completed CIT training. This questionnaire included Sections 2, 3, and 4 from the initial survey. As mentioned previously, measuring scores on the variables of interest at the beginning and end of the training provides an accurate picture of the extent to which the training is achieving its initial objectives (Kirkpatrick, 1970). This study also tests whether there is any decline between the posttest and follow-up data collection points on these variables of interest.
Measures
Knowledge of mental illness (H1)
The assumption underlying the importance of knowledge acquisition in a training program is that enhanced knowledge will improve on-the-job performance among those receiving the training. An effective training program provides trainees with knowledge that enhances their cognitive response to on-the-job situations (Kraiger, Ford, & Salas, 1993). The CIT training program intends to provide law enforcement and correctional officers with knowledge about mental illness (H1) to improve their response to mental health crises.
Eight fact-based, True/False questions derived from CIT training curricula were included to measure knowledge of mental illness across the three data collection points (see Table 1). The responses to these knowledge-based questions were coded as follows: 1 = correct, 0 = either incorrect or don’t know. A summed variable comprised of the aggregated responses to these eight questions was created to identify changes in knowledge between the pretest, posttest, and follow-up data collection points. Therefore, in the analytical procedures, “Knowledge of Mental Illness” is represented by a summed variable with a range of 0 to 8, with 0 being no correct answers and 8 being all correct answers. The purpose of creating this summed variable is to differentiate between those that scored lower and those that scored higher on the knowledge-based questions at all three time points.
Eight Fact-Based Questions Measuring “Knowledge of Mental Illness.”
Note. The correct answers are marked with an X, based on CIT curriculum. CIT = Crisis Intervention Team.
Self-efficacy and the management of mental health crises (H2)
Self-efficacy is defined as “a personal judgment of how well one can execute a course of action required to deal with prospective situations” (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998, p. 240). Research suggests that self-efficacy is strongly related to on-the-job performance in the organizational setting, meaning that an individual’s perception of their ability to do their job is directly related to their actual ability to carry out job-related activities (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998). As this relates to training, enhancing trainees’ self-efficacy serves the important purpose of improving their job performance. One objective of CIT training is to increase officers’ self-efficacy with regard to the intervention and management of mental health crises, thereby increasing their ability to manage these situations. To examine the extent to which the training achieves this objective, six perception-based questions were included on the pretest, posttest, and follow-up questionnaires. Their responses were based on a 5-point Likert-type scale (0 = strongly disagree, 1 = disagree, 2 = neutral, 3 = agree, 4 = strongly agree). These questions tapped into the officers’ perceived ability to intervene and manage a situation involving a person with a mental illness.
A composite measure comprised of the aggregated responses to the six perception-based questions was created to represent self-efficacy at each data collection point. The internal consistency among these questions was high (Cronbach’s α = .878). When the responses were summed for the “Self-Efficacy” composite variable, the scores ranged between 0 and 24. The summation of the responses to these individual questions allows the distinction to be made between officers with lower overall perceptions of self-efficacy and those with higher perceptions of self-efficacy across the three data collection points.
Perceptions of verbal de-escalation (H3)
Perceptions and attitudes are important indicators of decision making and behavioral change. The theory of planned behavior asserts that an individual’s behavior is driven in part by their attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of that behavior (Ajzen, 1991). The more favorable the attitude toward the behavior, the more likely the individual is to engage in that behavior. The present study seeks to examine officers’ perceptions of verbal de-escalation techniques (H3). CIT training intends to improve their perceptions of verbal de-escalation based on the presumption that improved perceptions will lead to an increase in their utilization of these skills. Three questions were included on the pretest, posttest, and follow-up questionnaires that asked officers to indicate whether they believe verbal de-escalation is an advantageous tool, whether they are comfortable using verbal de-escalation, and whether they feel as though the type of intervention skills used can impact the outcome of incidents.
The responses to these three questions (Cronbach’s α = .826) were summed to create a composite variable that represented “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” for the three data collection points. The responses were coded in the same fashion as the other Likert-type questions utilized in the study, with strongly disagree being “0,” and strongly agree being equal to “4.” Therefore, the range of possible scores on the composite measure “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” ranged between “0” and “12.” Again, the purpose of aggregating these questions to create a summed composite variable is to discriminate between those with lower perceptions of verbal de-escalation and those with higher perceptions of verbal de-escalation across the three time points.
Independent variables
Prior research has not incorporated officer-level independent variables when examining the effectiveness of CIT training. These factors are important because they represent possible mediators of measurable training effects. The officer-level demographic characteristics that are utilized as independent variables in this study include race (non-White = 0, White = 1), sex (female = 0, male = 1), and age. The occupational characteristics of officers included in this survey are officer type (correctional = 0, law enforcement = 1), years of service, and rank (patrol/line officer = 0, supervisory officer = 1). Other officer-level variables that were examined as they relate to potential training effects include previous mental health training (0 = no, 1 = yes), prior exposure to mental illness (0 = no, 1 = yes), and whether the officer volunteered for the training (0 = no, 1 = yes). The voluntary status of the officer is an important variable to consider in the present study because the Memphis CIT training curriculum was originally designed to be provided only to officers who volunteered for the training. However, agencies are increasingly seeking full implementation with the desire to have their entire agency trained in CIT. Therefore, gaining an understanding as to whether officers’ voluntary status really matters in terms of training effectiveness has valuable practical implications. In addition to examining officer-level characteristics, this study also explored county-level differences among officers in terms of program effectiveness.
Sampling
Out of the 67 counties in Florida, 30 have at least one criminal justice agency that has adopted the CIT model. Based on communication with CIT Coordinators from the agencies in the 14 counties that train both law enforcement and correctional officers in CIT, a convenience sample was formulated representing those counties willing to participate in the study. The 9 counties included in this study comprise approximately 32% of Florida’s overall population and 30% of the State’s average daily jail population. In addition, an estimated 34% of all arrests that occurred in Florida in 2011 took place in these 9 counties (Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 2012). Therefore, it is fair to assert that the counties included in this study represent about a third of the State’s law enforcement and local correctional agencies.
In total, surveys were distributed to officers in 11 CIT classes in 9 Florida counties (one class in 9 counties, and two classes in 2 counties) between July and December of 2012. Of the 300 total officers who received the pretest survey, 294 completed and returned the surveys, including 103 correctional officers and 191 law enforcement officers. The posttest survey was administered to the 294 officers who completed the pretest. Of the 279 officers who completed the posttest, 100 were correctional officers and 179 were law enforcement officers. An attrition rate of 12% brought the possible sample size for the follow-up survey down to 215. Of the 215 officers who received the follow-up survey, 117 total officers completed the survey, comprised of 43 correctional officers and 74 law enforcement officers. The response rates for the officer surveys were 98% for the pretest, 95% for the posttest, and 42% for the follow-up survey.
The low response rate for the follow-up survey is likely attributable to the web-based mode of distribution. While there are numerous advantages to online surveys, including cost-savings and ease of access, the response rates for these types of surveys are notably lower than other modes of survey research (Dillman, Smyth, & Christian, 2009; Marsden & Wright, 2010; Nulty, 2008). As noted by Marsden and Wright (2010) and Nulty (2008), the average response rate for online surveys is approximately 50%, which is just slightly higher than the response rate for the follow-up survey in this study.
Results
Officer-Level Characteristics
In addition to officer type, the pretest captured several demographic and occupational characteristics of respondents: age, sex, race, ethnicity, years of service, and rank (see Table 2). The descriptive statistics for these variables are reported for the 279 officers who completed the pretest and posttest surveys. The minimum age for the respondents was 20 and the maximum age was 60, with a mean age of 36 years. Nearly 80% of the officers who responded to the pre- and posttest surveys were male. In addition, approximately 75% of the respondents were White, while 17% reported Black as their race, and the remaining 8% were American Indian, Asian, or “Other.” For analytical purposes, this categorical variable was collapsed into White or non-White officers. Among the respondents, 16% reported their ethnicity as Hispanic. The minimum year(s) of service was 0 because there were several new recruits in the CIT training classes. The maximum year(s) of service was 32, and the mean was 8 years of service. The officers were asked to indicate their rank in an open-ended question. This variable was later collapsed into line officer (patrol or detention deputy), or supervisory rank (lieutenant, captain, sergeant, etc.). Roughly 78% were line officers, with the remaining 22% falling into the supervisory rank category.
Officer-Level Characteristics (n = 279).
Note. MI = mental illness; MH = mental health.
The pretest survey included several additional questions that were utilized as independent variables when examining the outcome measures associated with training effectiveness (see Table 2). The first question asked the officers to indicate whether they volunteered for CIT training. In this sample, 62% volunteered for the training, while 37% indicated they did not volunteer for the training, and the remaining 1% failed to answer the question. The goal of including this question as an independent variable is to determine whether an officer’s volunteer status has any impact on the effectiveness of the curriculum.
Two additional independent variables that are included in this study reflect questions in the pretest that address prior exposure to mental illness. The first question asked officers to indicate whether they received mental health training in their training academy, and the second question asked the officers to indicate whether they know someone personally with a mental illness (i.e., family member, friend, coworker, etc.). Approximately 44% of the respondents reportedly received mental health training in the academy and 32% reported knowing someone with a mental illness. Variables reflecting these officer-level characteristics were tested as possible mediating variables that could contribute to any changes that may have occurred between the pretest and posttest, as well as the follow-up data collection point with regard to the key measures of training effectiveness. 2
Immediate Training Effects: Pretest/Posttest Results
To test the previously outlined program evaluation hypotheses, three key outcome measures associated with training effectiveness were captured on the pretest and posttest surveys: (a) basic knowledge of mental illness, (b) perceptions of self-efficacy, and (c) perceptions of verbal de-escalation. The first step in the program evaluation analytical process involved examining the immediate training effects, by conducting a series of paired samples t tests to measure the mean changes in scores on the key outcome measures between the pretest and posttest. The results of these analyses are presented in Table 3.
Immediate Training Effects (n = 279).
Note. MH = mental health.
p < .001.
To identify changes in “Knowledge of Mental Illness,” a paired samples t test was conducted to compare the mean number of correct responses on the pretest to the mean number of correct responses on the posttest. As illustrated in Table 3, this analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in the mean number of correct responses from the pretest to the posttest, which suggests CIT training does effectively improve officers’ knowledge of mental illness on average.
For the “Self-Efficacy” outcome, responses to six questions were summed to create a composite variable for the pretest and a separate composite measure comprised of the same questions was created using the posttest responses. The paired samples t test comparing the pretest mean score with the posttest mean score was also significant on this measure, suggesting that on average, CIT training significantly increased officers’ self-efficacy with regard to responding to mental health crises. Similarly, two separate composite variables consisting of the aggregated responses to three questions were created to represent “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” at the pretest and posttest data collection points. The results of a paired samples t test comparing the pretest and posttest means on this measure indicated that CIT training significantly increased officers’ perceptions of verbal de-escalation, on average.
The results of the paired samples t tests measuring the immediate training effects indicate that on every measure of training effectiveness there was a statistically significant increase between the pretest and posttest. The most pronounced growth was found on the “perceptions of self-efficacy” measure, which increased by approximately 16% between the pretest and posttest data collection points. However, the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure increased by 10% and the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure improved by 6%. Any growth on these measures is considered an indication of training effectiveness.
To explore the immediate training effects further, the relationships between the three key outcome measures and the officer characteristics previously outlined were tested using a series of bivariate analytical procedures. The following independent variables were included in this analytical process: officer type, sex, race, rank, years of service, volunteer status, prior exposure to mental illness, and previous mental health training. The main purpose of these analyses was to identify any possible mediating relationships between the independent variables and the outcome measures that may explain the growth noted previously on the measures of training effectiveness. These analytical procedures served the additional purpose of identifying whether officers with certain characteristics benefited more than others from the training. Specifically, this study sought to determine whether the training was equally effective for correctional and law enforcement officers.
Prior to conducting these analyses, a change variable was created for each outcome measure, which was calculated by subtracting the pretest mean from the posttest mean. A series of independent samples t tests were conducted to test the relationships between the categorical independent variables and the change variables that represent the measures of training effectiveness. In addition, Pearson’s correlation coefficients were utilized to examine the relationships between years of service and the immediate training effects. The Pearson’s correlation coefficients revealed no statistically significant relationships, indicating that officers’ level of experience does not play a role in their receptivity to CIT training.
The results of the independent samples t tests involving officer type (correctional or law enforcement), rank, and prior exposure to mental illness indicated that these variables are not related to the officer-level CIT training objectives. These findings suggest the immediate training effects are not directly attributable to officers’ years of service, rank, prior exposure to mental illness, or whether the officer is in law enforcement or corrections. In addition, no statistically significant relationships were identified between the independent variables and mean changes on the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure.
However, a significant relationship was identified between officer sex and change on the “Self-Efficacy” measure. Females demonstrated a 22% increase (change = 5.25, SD = 5.02) in “Self-Efficacy,” whereas males experienced a 15% mean increase (change = 3.52, SD = 4.36). However, female officers scored significantly lower than males on the pretest surveys, indicating they had more to gain from the training at the outset in terms of self-confidence. Also worth noting, males gained more than females on the other measures, although these findings did not reach statistical significance.
With regard to the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure, nonvolunteers gained significantly more (change = 1.05, SD = 1.4) than volunteers (change = 0.70, SD = 1.35). The growth translates to a 13% increase for nonvolunteers and a 9% improvement rate for volunteers. In addition, officers without prior mental health training gained significantly more (change = 1.06, SD = 1.45) than officers with prior mental health training (change = 0.61, SD = 1.26) on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure. Officers with prior mental health training had a higher mean score on this measure at the pretest, indicating they had a higher baseline knowledge of mental illness than officers with no prior mental health training.
When examining the impact of the independent variables on the three key measures of CIT training effectiveness, it appears several variables may play a mediating role in predicting immediate training effects. Specifically, officer volunteer status and prior mental health training are significantly related to mean changes on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure. In addition, a significant relationship was identified between officer sex and mean changes on the “Self-Efficacy” measure. Although some groups demonstrated greater improvements on certain objectives when compared with others, all groups increased on every training objective, indicating no detectable declines on these measures.3,4
Intermediate Training Effects
The analytical procedures used to examine the intermediate training effects included only the sample of respondents who completed all three surveys (n = 117). Recognizing that attrition can potentially result in nonresponse bias that diminishes the generalizability of the findings, a series of bivariate analyses were conducted to identify differences between the group of officers who responded to the follow-up survey and the group of officers who did not respond to this survey. These analyses revealed females were more likely to respond than males, officers who reported having previously received mental health training were more likely to respond than officers with no prior mental health training, officers who volunteered for CIT training were more likely to respond than officers who did not volunteer for the training, and officers who knew someone with a mental illness were less likely to respond to the follow-up survey than officers who did not report knowing someone with a mental illness. Respondents also possessed less favorable attitudes about verbal de-escalation than nonrespondents at the beginning of CIT training. Worth noting, this difference between respondents and nonrespondents in terms of baseline perceptions of verbal de-escalation diminished to a nonsignificant level at the posttest data collection point, suggesting this may be an artifact of sample distribution.
It can be determined from this preliminary analysis that the missing data (nonresponse) are not at random, which means the differences between the respondents and nonrespondents in terms of sex, prior mental health training, volunteer status, and knowing someone with a mental illness suggest potential sources of bias. Thus, the findings pertaining to these officer-level characteristics and the intermediate training effects may not be generalizable to the entire sample or a broader population with a similar distribution. In addition, it would be difficult to extrapolate the true meaning of findings related to these officer characteristics and the intermediate training effects because this subsample does not proportionately represent the original sample. However, additional analyses involving the follow-up sample serves the important purpose of exploring the retention and usefulness of CIT training.
To examine the intermediate effectiveness of CIT training, a series of paired samples t tests were performed to assess the mean change between the posttest and follow-up surveys on the three measures of training effectiveness. As evidenced in Table 4, no substantial change was identified between the posttest mean and follow-up mean on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure. However, the mean scores on the other two measures significantly declined between the two data collection points. On average, officers experienced an estimated 22% decline on the “Self-Efficacy” measure and a 28% decrease on the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure between the posttest and follow-up data collection points. The significant declines on these measures represent a diminishing effect, or decay, of the training over time.
Intermediate Training Effects (n = 117).
p < .001.
Separate change variables were created by subtracting the posttest mean from the follow-up mean to represent the changes that occurred between the posttest and follow-up data collection points on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness,” “Self-Efficacy,” and “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measures. Independent samples t tests were performed to examine the relationships between the original nine independent variables and these change variables to determine if officer characteristics played a role in the change that occurred between these two time points. The nine independent variables that were tested include officer type, sex, race, rank, previous mental health training, volunteer status, prior exposure to mental illness, and years of service. None of the independent variables were significantly related to the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” or “Self-Efficacy” change variables. However, officer rank and race were significantly related to the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” change variable. Unranked officers lost more (change = −3.62, SD = 2.55) than ranked officers (change = −2.44, SD = 2.62) on this measure, t(98) = −2.024, p < . 05). In addition, non-White officers experienced a greater deterioration (change = −4.59, SD = 2.09) than White officers (change = −3.04, SD = 2.64) between the posttest and follow-up survey data collection points in terms of their “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation,” t(98) = −2.280, p < . 05). 5
To further explore the relationship between time and training effectiveness, several linear growth curve models were created using pretest, posttest, and follow-up scores for the three measures of training effectiveness: “Knowledge of Mental Illness,” “Self-Efficacy,” and “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation.” The key independent variable for each of these models is Time (pretest, posttest, and follow-up). Each growth curve model also incorporated the independent variables previously identified as predictors of change on the individual outcome measures. As noted previously, prior mental health training and volunteer status were significantly related to change on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure, sex was the only officer characteristic associated with change on the “Self-Efficacy” measure, while officer rank and race were associated with change on the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure.
The results of the growth curve models are presented in Table 5. As illustrated, Time was a significant predictor of growth in all three models. This finding suggests that officers’ scores pertaining to “Knowledge of Mental Illness,” “Self-Efficacy,” and “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” were significantly affected by Time. The reference category for Time in the growth curve models was Time 3 (follow-up survey), meaning officers’ scores at Time 1 (pretest) and Time 2 (posttest) were compared with their scores at Time 3 (follow-up survey). As indicated in Table 5, officers’ scores on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure at Time 1 were significantly lower (9%) than their scores at Time 3. However, officers’ “Knowledge of Mental Illness” at Time 2 was only slightly greater (less than 1%) than Time 3. The results of the growth curve model with “Knowledge of Mental Illness” as the dependent variable align with the findings presented previously regarding the changes that occurred on this measure between the pretest and posttest, and posttest and follow-up data collection points. However, the independent variables previously identified as predictors of change on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure were not significant in the growth curve model.
Growth Curve Models.
Note. Reference categories for variables: Time 3 (Follow-Up), Sex (Male), Prior mental health (Yes), Volunteer status (Volunteer), Race (White), Rank (Supervisor). Likelihood Ratio Tests: Knowledge of Mental Illness (5, n = 110) = 70.95, p < .001; Self-Efficacy (3, n = 117) = 154.65, p < .001; Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation (4, n = 117) = 150.26, p < .001.
p < .01.
With regard to the “Self-Efficacy” growth curve model, both Time 1 and Time 2 were significantly different from Time 3. In this model, officers’ “Self-Efficacy” at Time 1 was 5% higher than Time 3, and their “Self-Efficacy” at Time 2 was 22% higher than Time 3. These findings support the results previously provided related to changes on the “Self-Efficacy” measure over time, with one exception. While sex was associated with change on the “Self-Efficacy” measure in the bivariate analysis, this finding was not corroborated in the growth curve model.
In the final growth curve model, significant differences were noted between Time 1 and Time 3, as well as Time 2 and Time 3 on the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure. Officers’ scores at Time 3 were 21% lower than Time 1 and 27% lower than Time 2. The results of this growth curve model confirm the findings previously outlined pertaining to changes over time on the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure. However, similar to the other growth curve models, the effects of the independent variables on officers’ “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” that were previously significant decreased to a nonsignificant level in this model. Overall, the growth curve models further indicate that the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” gained through the training was retained by officers at the follow-up data collection point. However, officers’ “Self-Efficacy” and “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” declined significantly between the posttest and follow-up time frame, making their follow-up scores lower than their baseline scores. Potential explanations for these declines will be posited in the upcoming discussion.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Memphis CIT training curriculum across several counties in Florida. An additional objective entailed exploring the relative effectiveness of the training among law enforcement and correctional officers. Central to this study was identifying whether the training was similarly effective for correctional officers, since this training has recently been expanded to include this set of participants. When examining the immediate effectiveness of the training, analyses revealed a significant increase on all three measures of training effectiveness between the pretest and posttest data collection periods. These analyses indicate that the training does effectively achieve the intended officer-level objectives in the short-term time frame among both law enforcement and correctional officers.
Further analyses were conducted to determine whether certain officer characteristics mediate the immediate effectiveness of the training. These analyses revealed that officer sex was significantly related to growth on the “Self-Efficacy” measure, indicating that females gained more than males on this measure. In addition, nonvolunteers and officers without prior mental health training experienced a greater increase on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure than their counterparts. In an effort to determine whether the differences identified could be attributable to pretraining dissimilarities rather than susceptibility to the training, a series of independent samples t tests were conducted to compare the baseline (pretest) scores among the groups just described on the measures where a significant difference was identified. Volunteers and nonvolunteers entered the training with roughly the same mean scores on this measure, which indicates the training truly did have a greater impact on nonvolunteers with regard to improving their “Knowledge of Mental Illness.”
However, females started with a lower baseline score than males on the “Self-Efficacy” measure and officers with no prior mental health training began with lower baseline scores on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure than officers with prior mental health training, which suggests females and officers with no prior mental health training had more to gain from the training than their counterparts. These findings point to the presence of a ceiling effect, in which there is only so much to be gained from a training program and the ceiling is considered the maximum effectiveness of training (Lewis-Beck, Bryman, & Futing Liao, 2003). Thus, the groups of officers with lower pretest mean scores on the measures of training effectiveness had further to climb to reach the ceiling, which could explain the differential growth rates.
Further testing to examine possible explanations for the gender difference in the effectiveness of the training ruled out prior exposure to mental illness as an explanation. Existing research is mixed on gender differences among law enforcement officers in terms of perceived self-efficacy, with findings from certain studies indicating that male officers are more self-confident than female officers, and other studies indicating no significant difference between male and female officers in terms of self-efficacy (Kakar, 2002; Love & Singer, 1988). This finding is particularly interesting in the context of the present study because most of the officers in charge of the CIT program within these agencies were female. As stated by Kakar (2002),
It has been argued that women bring an “ethic of care” to law enforcement. This ethic is seen to translate into policewomen’s possessing greater communication skills and more calming demeanors and being more empathetic with and better equipped to interact with citizens. (p. 242)
In addition, the cognitive learning styles of men and women differ greatly, which may explain disparate gains in various areas of the training (Severiens & Ten Dam, 1994). Future research is needed to explore gender differences in terms of amenability to training and self-efficacy in the field of law enforcement, particularly in relation to crisis intervention.
When examining the intermediate effectiveness of the training, the results of the statistical tests revealed that officers experienced very little change on the “Knowledge of Mental Illness” measure between the posttest and follow-up data collection points. This finding indicates that the knowledge acquired during CIT training was largely retained during the 1-month follow-up period. However, significant reductions were identified when examining the follow-up mean scores for the “Self-Efficacy” and “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measures. These results suggest officers experienced a significant decline, or decay, on these measures when they returned to the field following their completion of CIT training. These declines took their mean scores to a lower level than documented on the pretest survey.
To determine whether these declines may be attributable to officers not having the opportunity to use the skills in the month following the training, a secondary analysis was conducted using a question on the follow-up survey that asked officers to indicate the number of times they have used verbal de-escalation since completing CIT training. This analysis revealed that 30% of the follow-up sample reported not having the opportunity use the verbal de-escalation skills since completing the training. To assess whether this might explain the decline, an independent samples t test was conducted to compare the mean scores of officers who reported using verbal de-escalation skills since the training with those who have not had the opportunity to use them on the posttest follow-up change variables for the “Perceptions of Verbal De-Escalation” and “Self-Efficacy” measures. No statistically significant differences between these two groups emerged, although a greater decline was found among the group of officers who reported not using verbal de-escalation since the training on the “Self-Efficacy” change variable. Furthermore, when looking at differences between these two groups on just the follow-up “Self-Efficacy” scores, officers who reported using verbal de-escalation since the training scored significantly higher than the group of officers who reported not using verbal de-escalation since the training. These analyses indicate future research should extend the follow-up period to identify whether the decay identified in this study shrinks over time once more officers have the opportunity to use the learned skills. Moreover, further research is needed to explore the interrelatedness between perceptions of verbal de-escalation and self-efficacy in the CIT context.
Because the secondary analyses just presented did not provide a finite explanation of the noted decay, this issue warrants further discussion. As mentioned previously, “Self-Efficacy” refers to one’s perceptions of one’s ability. Within the context of the present study, officers were asked several questions at each time point pertaining to their level of confidence when intervening and managing situations involving persons with a mental illness. While officers experienced a significant increase on this measure between the pretest and posttest surveys, the significant decline identified on the follow-up survey suggests their self-confidence decreased over time. One potential explanation for this deterioration that could be empirically tested in the future might be the acquisition of knowledge and skills in the training leads to an increased awareness of shortcomings in these areas once officers return to the field. Law enforcement and correctional officers may leave CIT training with improved self-efficacy surrounding their ability to manage situations involving persons with a mental illness, but when given the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they obtained in the training after returning to duty, they could become acutely aware of inadequacies they did not know existed prior to the training.
Similarly, the findings related to the decline on the “Verbal De-escalation” measure suggest CIT training may have a boomerang effect in the intermediate time frame by lowering officers’ perceptions of the de-escalation tools they learned once given the opportunity to exercise these skills in the field. Although CIT training is intended to improve officers’ perceptions and understanding of verbal de-escalation by providing them with additional de-escalation skills and exercises, officers may not find these tools as useful as hoped when encountering persons with a mental illness once back in the field. Future qualitative research is needed to explore this further, in which officers are interviewed to gain a better understanding of why officers’ perceptions of self-efficacy and verbal de-escalation declined so quickly after completing CIT training. In addition, an extended follow-up period would be beneficial to determine whether this deterioration is temporary or long-term.
When examining the relationships between the independent variables and the dependent change variables for the three measures of training effectiveness, the only significant relationships identified involved the “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” measure. On this measure, unranked officers experienced a greater decline than ranked officers, and non-White officers demonstrated a greater decrease than White officers. According to data from the follow-up survey, fewer ranked officers reported having the opportunity to utilize the de-escalation skills in the month following their completion of the training, and thus were less likely to change their perceptions of these skills in the follow-up time period.
One possible explanation for the relationship between officer race and change in “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” could be attributable to differences that existed between White and non-White officers on this measure prior to the follow-up data collection point. Although White and non-White officers began the training with nearly the same mean score on this measure, non-White officers had a higher mean score on the posttest, indicating they gained more from the training on this measure. Therefore, they had more to lose going into the follow-up data collection point. In addition, a difference existed between White and non-White officers in terms of prior exposure to mental illness that may provide an explanation for this finding. Nearly 35% of White officers reported knowing someone with a mental illness at the beginning of CIT training, compared with 24% of non-White officers. While the chi-square test did not prove significant, this difference is potentially substantial enough to provide an explanation for the differences identified between these two groups on the “Self-Efficacy” measure. Prior exposure to mental illness may be a salient factor that contributes to sustained “Self-Efficacy” following the completion of CIT training, although not measurable in this study. No significant differences between White and non-White officers were identified in relation to the use of verbal de-escalation skills at the follow-up data collection point.
Several recommendations for improvement of CIT training that can be derived from this study pertain specifically to the notable training decay found among the officers who completed the follow-up survey. The decay on the Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation measures suggests greater emphasis should be placed on active learning exercises (i.e., role-playing), as opposed to relying so heavily on lecture-based content. In the CIT training curriculum, typically one full day is devoted to role-playing, with each individual officer getting the opportunity to practice the learned verbal de-escalation techniques in only one scenario. According to a synthesis of training literature provided by Burke and Hutchins (2007), behavioral modeling and active learning exercises through which trainees can practice skills and receive feedback are essential training strategies to promote the retention and on-the-job application of skills acquired through training (i.e., transfer of training). In addition, the decay noted in this study indicates a greater need for refresher courses, or follow-up training, to reinforce the skills and knowledge gained from CIT training. An additional reinforcement strategy that might effectively improve the long-term retention of CIT knowledge and skills would be assigning newly trained CIT officers to veteran CIT officers for a brief period of field training following their completion of the course. This would allow newly trained CIT officers to learn from more experienced CIT-trained officers as to how to apply the skills they learned in CIT training in real-world scenarios.
With regard to policy, one particularly important finding of this study is that CIT training appears to be equally effective for both law enforcement and correctional officers. Officer type was not significantly related to the training objectives, meaning the training is similarly effective for both types of officers. Since many jurisdictions are beginning to send correctional officers, probation officers, and other first-responders to CIT training, it is critical to understand whether the training has the desired effects on these other groups of participants. The results of this study support prior research that indicates this type of training is beneficial for correctional officers to attend. Based on the findings from this study, more correctional agencies should consider enrolling their officers in CIT programs. In addition, although the standard CIT curriculum was effective for correctional officers, the development of a corrections-specific CIT program may be even more beneficial by catering specifically to the unique challenges faced by correctional officers when responding to inmates experiencing mental health crises.
In addition, while CIT training was originally intended solely for volunteers, many agencies are now considering the full implementation of CIT, meaning the goal is to have 100% of their officers trained in CIT. This is a controversial practice in the CIT community as many stakeholders feel as though some officers may not possess the temperament necessary to be receptive to the training. The difference in approaches (partial vs. full implementation) is contingent upon jurisdictional needs and objectives, with some agencies treating CIT as a specialized unit of officers and others treating CIT as “just another training.” Therefore, the decision to train nonvolunteers is discretionary and agency-specific. Nonetheless, the findings from this study indicate that CIT training is effective and beneficial for both volunteers and nonvolunteers.
Study Limitations and Future Research
This study has several limitations that should be noted. First, this study utilized a convenience sample, which reduces the generalizability of the findings. Second, the true impact of CIT training on law enforcement and correctional officers is difficult to estimate because the study did not include a control group. Third, because many officers volunteered for the training, selection bias may pose a threat to external validity. In addition, the short follow-up period does not allow the measurement of any long-term attitudinal or behavioral changes experienced by CIT-trained law enforcement and correctional officers. Furthermore, the low response rate for the follow-up survey diminished the quality of the implications that could be derived from the study, particularly with regard to nonresponse bias. Finally, the officer surveys did not include a measure of social desirability, making it difficult to determine whether the officers answered the questions in a false manner that projected a greater improvement across the time points than actually occurred.
This study brought to light several ideas for future studies involving the CIT model. First, duplicating this study with a larger sample size covering a broader geographical area would enhance the generalizability of these findings. Second, extending the follow-up period to a minimum of 6 months following the completion of the training would provide a more accurate picture of the long-term effectiveness of CIT training. In addition, future studies should incorporate official CIT reports completed by CIT-trained officers when they respond to an incident involving a person with a mental illness to gain a better understanding of the behavioral impact of the training. Furthermore, more research is needed surrounding the implementation and effectiveness of the CIT model in rural areas. Finally, the ideal assessment of training program effectiveness would entail the development of a randomized control research design in which officers were randomly assigned to a treatment (training) group and control group. This type of research design would permit the comparison of CIT-trained officers with non-CIT-trained officers in terms of their performance on the measures of training effectiveness.
Conclusion
The findings from this study indicate CIT training effectively achieved the immediate officer-level objectives among both law enforcement and correctional officers. However, data from the follow-up data collection point suggested a noticeable deterioration or decay in terms of intermediate training effectiveness. While the knowledge attained through CIT training was retained throughout the follow-up period, officers’ “Self-Efficacy” and “Perceptions of Verbal De-escalation” declined significantly in the month following the completion of CIT training. Future research is needed to identify explanations for these declines to determine whether improvements in training curriculum or refresher courses could address decay. This study also revealed that officer characteristics play a role in CIT training effectiveness, suggesting that officers with certain characteristics may be more susceptible to the training than others.
Of critical importance to this study is the finding that this training is similarly effective for both law enforcement and correctional officers, indicating that CIT training is appropriate to apply in the correctional setting. In addition, this study revealed that officers who do not volunteer for the training may benefit just as much, if not more, than officers who volunteer for the training. Thus, voluntariness may not be a necessary criterion for enrollment in the training.
The criminal justice involvement of persons with a mental illness is a critical public policy concern. As such, the time is ripe for more research examining existing and innovative solutions to this issue. Program evaluation research is critical to understanding the true effectiveness of these solutions, which not only aids in building an evidence base for criminal justice programs but also promotes continuous quality improvement. This study adds to the evidence base surrounding the Memphis CIT model, and provides guidance for future research on this topic.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.