Crisis Intervention Team

Crisis Intervention Team is a community partnership with Gateway, the local certified community behavioral health center, and the Comprehensive Community Action Program, better known as CCAP, to provide a unique response to those experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Our officers on this specialized team receive extensive training on de-escalation techniques as well as how to recognize signs of a potential mental illness. Gateway, a Brown University Health affiliate, provides an on-scene psychiatric crisis assessment.

 to determine an appropriate level of care for the individual in acute distress. The strategic pairing of officers with mental health professionals has a goal of diverting people from the criminal justice system into mental health treatment, when possible.

Mental health professionals from both Gateway and CCAP accompany the plain clothes officers in an unmarked car to perform follow-ups after an initial interaction with the Cranston Police Department. The team provides assistance in many different aspects, from meeting basic needs to supporting someone attempting to obtain treatment providers. This program has shown a decrease in repeat contacts to those individuals who have been able to get the assistance that is needed.