Improving police responses to mental health crises with Crisis Intervention Team training
Official title: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Mental Health Training for Police Officers
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11238874 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares whether 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training helps police officers respond more safely and helpfully to people with serious mental illness or psychiatric crises.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $654,277 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH128500-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238874 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with serious mental illness or those experiencing a psychiatric crisis who live in one of the participating communities and may interact with local police.
✕Less likely to help
People who never have contact with police, who only have mild non-crisis mental health needs, or who live outside the participating communities may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
The project partners with six U.S. communities to compare officers who receive 40 hours of CIT training versus officers who receive usual training. Officers are randomly assigned, and researchers will measure officer performance in standardized role-plays and real-world encounters, focusing on de-escalation, safety, and connections to care. The study will also examine officer-level factors that might change how well the training works. Results aim to provide rigorous, multi-site evidence about how CIT affects interactions with people in psychiatric crisis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer, more compassionate police encounters for people with serious mental illness and faster links to mental health care.
How similar studies have gone: CIT has been widely adopted and prior studies using officer self-report suggest benefits, but a randomized controlled trial measuring actual officer performance has not previously been done.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Compton, Michael T — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Compton, Michael T
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.