A pair of Tallahatchie County lawmen last week completed state-mandated training in crisis intervention as part of a new initiative to better identify and to address encounters with mental health patients and situations.
Sumner Police Chief Maurice Brooks and Tallahatchie County Deputy Sheriff Jerry Williams II completed the 40 hours of training at Region 6 Life Help in Greenwood and received certificates on Friday.
Mississippi House Bill 1222, the Collaborative Response to Mental Health Act, became law in 2023 and requires that by July 1, 2025, each municipal and county law enforcement agency in the state have at least one crisis intervention trained officer.
Crisis intervention officers receive 40 hours of training on topics such as mental health diagnoses, medications, substance use issues and more. They also receive hands-on instruction in de-escalation techniques and hear firsthand accounts from individuals who have experienced mental health crises themselves.
The training has a specific focus on safety, for the officers, civilians and the individuals in crisis, through increasing law enforcement personnel’s understanding of mental illness and improving relationships with the community, particularly with mental health professionals, people with mental illness and family members.
Officers who have received crisis intervention training respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and divert them to an appropriate setting to provide treatment, ensuring individuals are not arrested and taken to jail due to the symptoms of their illness.
