Learning Objectives:
- Describe the history, purpose, and best practices of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training
- Explore the impact of CIT partnerships with START programs
- Identify how participants can partner with local CIT trainings to enhance IDD crisis response in their communities
Session Description:
This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), offering participants a deeper understanding of the history, evolution, and best practices developed by CIT International. Participants will explore the critical role of community collaboration in equipping law enforcement with the tools and resources needed to respond effectively to people experiencing a crisis. Through real-life examples, the presenters will highlight the importance of building strong partnerships with CITs and community providers to foster meaningful change at the local level.
References:
Compton, M. T., Bakeman, R., Broussard, B., D'Orio, B., & Watson, A. C. (2017). Police officers' volunteering for (rather than being assigned to) Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training: Evidence for a beneficial self-selection effect. Behavioral Sciences & The Law, 35(5-6), 470-479. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.23...
Watson, A. C., & Compton, M. T. (2019). What research on crisis intervention teams tells us and what we need to ask. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 47(4), 422-426. https://doi.org/10.29158/JAAPL...
Taheri, S. A. (2016). Do Crisis Intervention teams reduce arrests and improve officer safety? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 27(1), 76-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/088740...
Yolanda Cruz, BS
CIT Coordinator
State Council on Developmental Disabilities
Yolanda Cruz serves as the Regional Manager for the Sequoia Office of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD), overseeing seven counties in California’s Central Valley. In this role, she develops curriculum and conducts training on the regulations and rights of people with developmental disabilities. With over 20 years of experience as an instructor, Yolanda has trained court personnel, law enforcement, first responders, legislators, and executive management teams.
Guided by the SCDD’s State Plan goals, including a focus on Health and Safety, Yolanda provides specialized training for law enforcement on interacting with people with disabilities. She holds multiple certifications and has taught Learning Domain 37 (People with Disabilities) at police academies across California. She also collaborates with Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) teams statewide, facilitating sessions on working with non-verbal individuals with developmental disabilities.
Before joining the SCDD, Yolanda worked as an Inclusion Specialist, training teachers and administrators to support children with disabilities in preschool and Head Start programs. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a Special Education Advocacy Trainer Certification from USC’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.
Yolanda has earned numerous certifications, including the POST Academy Instructor Certification Course (AICC), Autism Recognition and Risk Management for Law Enforcement and First Responders, and has ompleting the POST Instructor Development Institute Level III course.
Habsi Kaba, MS
Clinical Director
Miami-Dade Multi-Agency Peer Support Team; Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project, Crisis Intervention Team
Habsi W. Kaba is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 32 years of experience in behavioral health, crisis response, and psycho-social rehabilitation. Since 2003, she has led the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program in Miami-Dade County, a nationally recognized initiative. In 2016, under her leadership, Miami-Dade’s CIT Program was praised by President Barack Obama as a model for national reform.
A passionate educator and speaker, Habsi has trained over 20,000 law enforcement officers, first responders, criminal justice stakeholders, educators, and medical professionals across the U.S. and Canada. She fosters collaboration between behavioral health, criminal justice, and first responder systems, driving cross-sector change. Her expertise extends to consulting for government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security U.S. ICE Hostage Negotiation Team.
An internationally recognized expert in crisis response, behavioral health-criminal justice initiatives, officer wellness, and de-escalation, Habsi has influenced policy and practice through curriculum design and community education, including national radio and television productions.
Her contributions have earned widespread recognition. In 2014, she was named CIT International Coordinator of the Year, and in 2019, she joined the CIT International Board of Directors. In 2021, the Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners proclaimed October 14th as Habsi Kaba Day, honoring her transformative impact on public safety and mental health collaboration.
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Webinar
05/13/2025 at 2:35 PM (EDT) | 60 minutes
05/13/2025 at 2:35 PM (EDT) | 60 minutes
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