Chester County is one of six counties nationwide selected by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Keystone to pilot the Crisis Intervention Team - Youth (CIT-Y) training program.

The CIT-Y program - an extension of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training - was created to address the growing number of youths with mental health needs in the juvenile justice system. The first training was held from March 4 to 6 and included more than 15 county departments, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations.

"The CIT program benefits law enforcement, first responders, and community providers across Chester County," said the Board of Commissioners in a joint statement. "Teaching effective and compassionate methods for handling the crisis needs of a young person offers a critical opportunity to make a difference in their lives. We are honored to have been chosen by NAMI to be one of the pilot counties to implement CIT-Y programs across the commonwealth focusing on teens and youth. We hope that what is learned here can inform the expansion of CIT-Y."

Run by the Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (MH/IDD), CIT-Y teaches law enforcement officers, educators, first responders, and community providers about adolescent brain development and mental health symptoms in youths, along with strategies for engagement and connection to appropriate services and supports.

Department of Human Services director Pat Bokovitz said, "The staff in MH/IDD, especially MH/IDD children's mental health clinical services coordinator Teyanna Brunson, have worked closely with NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania for a number of years and were thrilled to be chosen as a CIT-Y pilot program county. Chester County is committed to ensuring that people with mental health issues are treated safely and with respect."

Representing Chester County at the recent training were the Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, the Juvenile Probation Office, and the Human Needs Network. Other agencies included NAMI Chester County PA, Chester County ACEs Coalition, Community Care Behavioral Health, Chester County's Teen Talk Line, Child Guidance Resource Center, Pennsylvania State Police, Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care, The Arc of Chester County, the Crime Victims' Center of Chester County, Trans-Parent Support Group, JusticeWorks YouthCare, and the Maternal and Child Health Consortium.