About this course

Course Overview: Crisis Intervention First Look: Focused Response for Veterans, an eLearning course, offers insights and practical guidance on the applicability of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) for veterans in crisis. A significant aspect of responding to veterans in mental health crises is the delivery of appropriate and effective service. Addressing psychological distress among those who have served in our nation’s armed forces introduces a variety of unique factors to crisis response.

First responders and community service providers are turning to the CIT and Veterans Response Team models for a collaborative, structured, and coordinated approach to veteran-focused crisis response. The course examines factors impacting veterans’ mental health, the applicability of CIT in veteran-crisis response and Veterans Response Teams, and next steps and resources for implementation. Gain perspective on these topics from law enforcement officers, mental-health practitioners, and veteran and mental-health advocates.

 Learning Objectives:

  • Examine psychological distress among veterans
  • Examine possible indicators of psychological distress that may manifest in veterans
  • Explore key factors impacting veterans in need of mental health support
  • Recall current veteran-focused crisis response practices, including Veterans Response teams being implemented by CIT practitioners
  • Describe elements of the CIT model that may effectively serve veterans in crisis and differentiate the additional elements in a Veterans Response team.
  • Examine the goals and desired outcomes related to veteran-focused crisis response and the CIT model
  • Recognize the next steps in Veterans Response Teams implementation planning
  • Examine the benefits of collaborating with veteran support organizations and advocacy groups when planning CIT or Veterans Response Teams implementation

Target Audience: Public safety and community service practitioners, decision-makers, and policy planners from any discipline involved in facilitating effective responses to mental health crises experienced by veterans.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Center for Policing Innovation (NCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 15JCOPS-21-GK-02306-SPPS by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Type: eLearning Course
All Topics: Crisis Response
Sub-topic: Vulnerable Populations
Learning Hours: 1 Hour
Funding Source: NCPI