Examples and Resources to Support Criminal Justice Entities in Compliance with Title II of the ADA

Crisis Response:  Through settlement agreements with the Department, police departments in Portland and Seattle trained additional officers to serve on Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT).  Also, all officers in these jurisdictions now receive basic training on effectively interacting with people with mental health disabilities and on crisis de-escalation.  The New Orleans Police Department and the Portland Police Bureau developed CIT policies that encourage de-escalation, diversion, and coordination with the local mental health agency.  Portland also developed a comprehensive Behavioral Health Unit that includes multiple co-responder teams that pair a specially trained police officer with a mental health professional to divert frequent users of police services based on their mental health needs.