HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee received a $600,000 federal grant to expand behavioral health training to law enforcement officers in eight counties.
The program is designed to help bridge the gap between officers and people experiencing a mental health crisis and improve these interactions. Members of the Crisis Intervention Team will get 40 hours of specialized training and stronger community partnerships.
Use of the Crisis Intervention Team training began in Memphis in 1988. It has since been used in 18 counties across the state.
The grant will expand the program to Sumner, Wilson, Smith, DeKalb, White, Putnam, Overton and Cumberland Counties over a three-year period.
