1. Top 10 Ways to Make Your CIT A Success
Sarah Burtenshaw
Mental Health Worker & CIT Coordinator
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2. Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST)
4 full-time police officers worknwith nurse, social workers and occupational therapists
24/7 crisis line
Police/mental health crisis team
2,000 outreach visits
14,000 phone calls

4. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

5. CIT Hamilton Police Service (15) Niagara Regional Police Service (15)
Brantford Police Service (3)
Halton Regional Police Service (3)
Norfolk OPP (3)
Ontario Provincial Police provide policing across most of Ontario
30 courses

6. Today’s Presentation
Identify 10 activities you can include in your CIT to make it more interesting and more understandable

7. Understanding Psychosis
Hallucinations are false sensory perceptions
Hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting things which aren’t there
The more stressed the individual is the more intense the hallucination will be
3 voice experience

8. If you stare at the blinking pink dots, you will see only one color, pink. If you look at the + in the center, you'll see a circle of pink dots and a rotating green dot. But, if you stare at the + without moving your eyes, the pink dots will disappear and you will see only a rotating green dot. It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot and the pink ones don't really disappear. This is proof that we don't always see what we think we see.

9. Delusions
Fixed false beliefs not in keeping with the person’s cultural or religious beliefs

10. Black SUV Day!

11. De-escalation Techniques
Focus of the training is to slow officers down
The following exercises illustrate how a person who is paranoid processes information and why it is important to take time when interacting with a person who is psychotic

12. RED BLUE GREEN YELLOW GREY PINK YELLOW PURPLE ORANGE BROWN BLACK GREY GREEN YELLOW PINK BLUE PURPLE BROWN RED GREEN

17. Psychosis Video Developed by the Ontario Police Video Tape Alliance

18. Dementia “Silver Tsunami”
Understanding the neurology of dementia helps with understanding the impact on a person’s functioning

19. Dementia
“Silver Tsunami” with the dramatic increase of dementia cases over the next 20 years with the baby boomers coming of age

20. Normal Brain vs. Alzheimer’s Brain

21. Memories as files in a cabinet

22. Problem Solving Difficulties
The diagnosis of dementia does not mean the individual will immediately have to give up the person’s driver’s licence
The diagnosis does mean the person will eventually have to give up driving
Trail Test A and B

23. Apraxia
Difficulty initiating/directing body parts to do familiar tasks
Mirror/Star Test

24. Assessing The Individual
A: Age and Appearance - Appearance of the person and their living environment B. Behavior: Describe the unusual behaviors the person demonstrated C. Cognition: What were they thinking D. Danger: Risk to self and others

25. Video Based Training
Video-based training online for officers to complete independently
Different options are offered with reference information provided as the scenarios progress

26. Resources “Psychosis” DVD – www.opvta.com Video-based learning:
Sarah Burtenshaw: