Austin Richardson of Youth Services System Inc. presents a session on suicide prevention to law enforcement officers attending Crisis Intervention Team training at the Highlands Event Center on Thursday. (Photo Provided)

TRIADELPHIA — Youth Services System Inc. joined the Wheeling Police Department to train law enforcement officers on how to respond to a person experiencing a mental health crisis.

The goal of the week-long Crisis Intervention Team training at the Highlands Event Center was to save lives, organizers said.

“There are too many tragedies occurring each year during encounters with persons experiencing mental health crises,” Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said. “Crisis Intervention Team is a relevant training and significant way to alleviate those tragedies by educating and empowering officers to make a positive difference, not only in the communities but with the individuals.”

During the 40-hour training, presenters covered topics including how to recognize and respond to people with different mental disorders, such as autism and psychosis, and up-to-date information on youth, veterans, people with substance-use disorders and the homeless.

The final session on Friday included de-escalation training and a role-playing session led by Crisis Intervention Team trainers Elizabeth Atwell, a licensed social worker, and retired Blue Ash Chief Paul Hartinger, both from the Cincinnati area. A graduation ceremony capped the week.

Twenty-two law enforcement officers attended the training, most of them from the Wheeling Police Department. Others attended from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and Wood County Sheriff’s Department in West Virginia.

Although it is not mandatory, Wheeling Police Cpl. Bryan Hails said the goal is for the majority of the Wheeling force to be trained. About 25 percent attended this training.

“The way we look at it is, it’s that many more tools in their toolbox,” Hails said. “They’ll leave here with a list of resources, that, even if the officer isn’t in a position to immediately change the outlook of the person in crisis, they could at least put them in touch with the right resources to better their chances of turning things around for themselves,” Hails said.

Hails said among the more enlightening sessions was led by Stephen Pownall, Youth Services regional adult intervention specialist. Pownall is a liaison between the community and law enforcement and people who have substance-use disorders. His region includes all of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties.

Many of Pownall’s clients are experiencing homelessness.

“My whole job is to find people treatment and try to work in the community and make them understand not all addicts are bad people,” Pownall said, who said he was pleased that the officers asked questions and were open to receiving his assistance.

“They’re very interested in working with us,” Pownall said. “They’re willing to help. They’re not just here anymore to arrest someone and throw them in jail. They want to get the people suffering, they want to get them help.”

Helping one person can make a difference, Hails said.

“…well, that person has plenty of people around them, friends and relatives, that would benefit from just that one person being healthier than they are,” Hails said. “So it’s something that could become widespread and help just improve the community in general.”

This was the third Crisis Intervention Team training, the first being held in 2017, according to Lori Garrett-Bumba, YSS Prevention Services director.

The training was hosted by the Youth Services Community Impact Coalition, the Youth Services Northern Panhandle Prevention Consortium and Wheeling Police. Additional sponsors include NAMI of Greater Wheeling, Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health, David Rose, Jebbia’s Market, Valley Cheese, Catholic Charities WV and the Highlands Event Center.