| The purpose of this study was to explore the role of mental health professionals partnered with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program. The goal of this dissertation was to identify key factors that draw mental health professionals to work with the CIT program, to enhance the collaboration between law enforcement and mental professionals in this specialized program. CIT has oft been cited as an exemplary crisis response program, leading the way in successful jail diversion models. Research suggests that a large part of the success of the program is the relationships formed between law enforcement and mental health providers. However, the majority of this research focuses on the effects of the CIT program on law enforcement and mentally ill consumers. Using phenomenological qualitative research methods, this dissertation investigated the perceptions and experiences of mental health professionals in their work with the CIT program to add to the literature on CIT and provide a more complete picture of the effects of the program on those involved. The 15 participants included mental health professionals from CIT programs across the country. Six themes emerged from the data: (a) advocacy, (b) character, (c) education and research, (d) perspective shift, (e) professional fulfillment, and (f) synergistic partnerships. This dissertation presents the findings from the interviews and offers a synthesized view of the meanings and experiences of the participants. |
