The Collaborative Crisis Training Program will allow TPD to work toward transitioning all TPD MHOs to full-time positions. In addition, TPD would create a part-time administrative position to assist.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department is requesting funding for a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). A fully-formed CIT Unit at the Tuscaloosa Police Department would first and foremost have front line officers trained to the CIT standard.  The goal is to have 20% of TPD patrol officers CIT trained, which would translate to 22 officers, but would prefer 30% to account for patrol attrition due to promotion, assignment, and resignation.  The training itself is fairly low cost, since TPD paid up front to have another agency provide the initial training and a Train-the-Trainer course.  The following project stage is to provide free training to patrol officers of the West Alabama area, and then throughout the state to promote effective CIT in all areas impacting the region’s currently overloaded mental health catchment network.  This project is currently in its infancy and, like the mental health system, is unsustainably strained.  Original CIT training from the Huntsville, Alabama Police Department and subsequent Train-the-Trainer course allowed TPD to begin training staff, but there is currently no room in the budget for further training, or to train and install a CIT coordinator.