CIT Overview and the Role of Dispatch
911 Operators play a crucial role in public safety response and are the first point of contact in crisis calls. They are essential in gathering information to inform safety. This 8 hour program is designed to provide dispatch with an overview of de-escalation techniques; the impact of trauma and information gathering to assess risk. Training can be made available upon request.
In 2024, the TTAC was fortunate to partner with Dr. Heidi Feldman, Ph.D., EMD, to customize an “Effective and Efficient Communication with Individuals in Crisis” workshop for our CIT for Chiefs and Administrators training. As an award winning teacher and internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Feldman has over 15 years of experience analyzing and improving communication between 911 professionals and the citizens they serve. She’s partnered with a wide range of police departments and regional centers. She holds APCO certifications as a Telecommunicator, Emergency Medical Dispatcher and Crisis Negotiator. She is available to work individually with Police Departments to analyze their calls for service that happen in real time to identify current challenges and explore various ways to improve communication. Visit: https://www.drheidi911.com/ to learn more.
Advanced De-escalation & Documentation
Advanced De-escalation & Documentation is a scenario based training that utilizes sim-munitions house and classroom didactics to further enhance tactical and verbal de-escalation skills. Introductory Motivational Interviewing skills is also incorporated to provide participants with additional effective communication skills when interacting with individuals with a traumatic history. Documentation and report writing is integrated to address efficient communication and documentation of de-escalation utilized.
Metro Boston CIT-TTAC is fortunate to partner with Roca, an internationally recognized organization, to bring Rewire4, a training tailored to the practices of policing and corrections and can teach law enforcement the theory and skills to help them stay focused, read themselves, examine their thinking and act on what’s important to them.
Rewire4 is different from traditional police training, and teaches officers a way of understanding the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and how that relationship impacts their lives. If your department is interested in Rewire4 contact us today: sozit@police.somerville.ma.us
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized certificate training that gives participants the skills to assist someone facing a mental health or substance use crisis. Trainees learn strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Metro Boston CIT-TTAC staff are certified instructors and available to provide this training per request.
Psychological First Aid
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence informed, modular approach to assisting individuals to reduce distress after a potentially traumatic event such as natural disasters, terrorism, a public health emergency or a personal crisis.
PFA is a set of 8 core action steps that operate on the assumptions of human resilience and a recognition that strong reactions to potentially traumatic events are common and normal.
PFA is based on the evidence informed principles of safety, calming, connectedness, hope and self/community efficacy. PFA is intended to be able to be used by non-clinically trained individuals to assist in supporting their community after a potentially traumatic event. PFA is culturally informed and able to be provided to all age groups.
The PFA training is a 6+ hour training and trainees will be provided a certificate of completion. PFA material can be found below.
Blue Courage
Michael Nila, a retired Commander from the Aurora, Ill., Police Department, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), took a holistic approach to police wellness and performance to create Blue Courage, an educational and leadership development process focused on the human growth of a police officer. Blue Courage is a transformational two day leadership development workshop designed for all law enforcement professionals. This revolutionary educational process is designed to touch hearts, awaken minds and ignite spirits through dynamic presentations and learning processes.
Blue Courage is recognized by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The program is focused on leadership and policing as a legacy profession with an emphasis on the importance of officer wellness. This program is for sworn only.
Several SPD Officers, many of whom are also CIT trained, complete the two day Blue Courage training: Leo Martini (CIT), Marc Difava (CIT), Det. Alan Monaco, Randi Isaacs (1st Row Kneeling), Ashley Catatao (CIT), Doug Brioso, Sgt. Jimmy Slattery, Tim Sullivan, Eric Ubeda (CIT), Lt. Diogo deOliveira (CIT), Chris Fusco (CIT), Dan Haley, and Rob Hartsgrove (CIT). The course is taught by SPD’s Patty Contente, Detective Mark Pulli, Chelsea PD Captain Dave Batchelor, and Winthrop PD Sergeant Sarko Gergerian.
Whole Health Resilience, Mind, Body & Spirit
This two day course combines HeartMath’s more than 20 years of research on the science of resilience with the expertise of Lt. Sarko Gergerian (Winthrop Police Department), Patty Contente (Somerville Police Department) and Veteran Officer Paul Cyr (Worcester Police Department), co-owner and trainer at CrossFit Worcester and Level 2 coach, as a guest speaker to specifically address nutrition. The Resiliency Advantage program provides a powerful skillset and engaging technology to optimize opportunity and build capacity to manage complex challenges. Instructors build on this program and focus on further developing skills to sustain resilience in all four domains: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Participants will gain knowledge and skills to proactively address health and manage stress.
To learn more about the Instructors, click here.
This is a free program open to all law enforcement staff including dispatch and civilian employees.
Motivational Interviewing
Partnering with the Institute for Individual and Organizational Change, this course is designed to provide police officers with effective communication in relationship to Trauma. Utilizing body worn camera footage, instructor Casey Jackson is an expert in motivational interviewing and utilizes evidence based and engaging strategies specifically adapted this approach for law enforcement response. The course explores how MI can be used to empower individuals by strategically engaging and strengthening their executive functioning to progress towards positive behavior change and outcomes that result in increased collaboration in crisis situations.
Registration
If you are interested in enrolling for Advanced Training please contact Jenn Korn at jkorn@police.somerville.ma.us.
*All trainings are eligible for funding to support backfill and overtime cost through DMH Jail Diversion grants.
Have ideas for Advanced Trainings? Contact Sabrina Ozit at sozit@police.somerville.ma.us.