Loudoun County, VA (May 5, 2023): The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is proud to announce the graduation of twenty-one of its sworn and civilian members from the 54th Basic Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program.
The week-long training is taught by CIT-certified Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputies, Loudoun County Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Health Services (MHSADS) professionals, and other experts in the field. During the week-long training, participants are introduced to medical, social, psychological, and legal aspects associated with mental illness.
The CIT program is a collaboration of LCSO; MHSADS; Friends of Loudoun Mental Health; the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Northern Virginia; and the Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
Along with the members of LCSO, graduates included representatives of Customs and Border Protection; Department of Community Corrections; Diplomatic Security Service; Leesburg Police Department; Loudoun County Fire Marshall’s Office; Pentagon Force Protection Agency; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office; and Northrop Grumman.
The program also includes partnerships with the Arc of Loudoun, Boulder Crest Retreat, Chantilly RI Crisis Receiving Center, Community Regional Crisis Response, Inova Loudoun Hospital, Loudoun County Homeless Shelter, Mobile Hope, Recovery Centers of America, Regional Education Assessment Crisis Services Habilitation (REACH) Program, Ryan Bartel Foundation, Stone Springs Hospital, and the Virginia Department of Veterans and Family Services.
The LCSO has been a leader in crisis intervention training and mental health-related initiatives. In 2019, the LCSO partnered with MHSADS to hold the first three-day Advanced CIT training in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The LCSO was also the first to provide the same advanced training for School Resource Officers (SROs). Advanced training focuses on residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially children.
As part of our commitment to the community, the LCSO gives every deputy the opportunity to complete the CIT training after their fundamental training. Our goal is to ensure interactions characterized by dignity and compassion for those experiencing mental health crisis or who have a developmental limitation.
