Belpre Police Chief Michael Stump, left, Dustin Lloyd, Brayden Gerber, Jan Holden, Josh Mays, Warren Moyer III, and Caleb Smith at CIT training graduation on May 23. Erica Boyd also graduated from the training but wasn’t present for the photo. (Photo provided by Tim Hahn)

MARIETTA — There were seven law enforcement officers and professionals who graduated on May 23 with Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training.

The training consisted of a 40-hour week of classes held at the Washington County Children Services building where the classes focused on educating responders and police officials about how to properly respond to a mental health situation.

“During class, we focus on different strategies on how to handle different situations,” said CIT coordinator and Assistant Director of the Washington County Behavioral Health Board Tim Hahn. “The program gives law enforcement a better understanding of mental health and substance abuse situations.”

The training program in Washington County started in the early 2000s after an instance occurred where officers didn’t know how to properly respond to a call involving a child with autism, according to Hahn.

“All of the officers in the Belpre Police Department are CIT certified,” said Belpre Chief Michael Stump. “We make all of our employees go through the course because it helps them to understand what resources are available.”

Stump said that he went through the course in 2010 and it helped him tremendously.

“After training I noticed that I was more aware of what was available to me and I had a better understanding of how to handle a variety of situations,” said Stump.

The CIT training has gained momentum over the years and even though it’s not required, roughly 86% of law enforcement in the county are CIT trained, according to Hahn.

“Usually we have 10 to 20 individuals attending the course each year,” said Hahn.

Each year, the classes focus on educating law enforcement and bridging the connections between behavioral health services and the local police departments.

Stump handed out the official CIT pins at this year’s graduation since one of his coworkers was part of the 2025 class.

“I’m just really excited about this program,” said Stump. “They bring in a variety of mental health specialists and the trainees learn so much from de-escalation techniques to recognizing signs of mental distress.”

Stump said that he’s been working with Hahn for the past two to four years and the program has proven to be a significant help within local law enforcement and first responder departments.

Hahn said that behavioral health has been looking to host refresher courses which will be offered to previously CIT trained law enforcement.