The Maui Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team has 16 new members who last week completed 40 hours of training.

This is the 14th class to complete the program that was launched in 2013.

The class consists of officers, and recruits from the Maui Police Department, Maui Humane Society, Maui Memorial Medical Center and the Pāʻia Youth and Cultural Center.

The hands-on training addresses how to interact with individuals potentially suffering from a mental illness or experiencing an emotional crisis.  It focuses on de-escalating a situation before reaching a point of violence or self-harm while ensuring the individuals receive the appropriate response and care they need.

The training is part of the Maui Police Department’s Critical Outreach and Response through Education unit, known as CORE, that works with community agencies on issues that include houseless individuals and those potentially suffering from mental illness.

The program was the first of its kind in the state and now has 213 individuals ranging in personnel from the Maui Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Maui Fire Department, Maui Memorial Medical Center, Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, Maui Prosecutor’s Office, Maui Community Correctional Center officers, Maui Community Mental Health Center, National Park Service, Family Life Center, the County of Maui Department of Transportation, Roberts Hawaiʻi, Department of Education, Salvation Army, KHAKO, Maui Aloha Foundation, Maui Economic Opportunity, Adult Mental Health, Maui Humane Society, Project Vision, Maui Police Department’s Multi-Cultural Advisory Counsel, Pāʻia Youth and Cultural Center, security staff from Queen Ka’ahumanu Center, Fairmont Kea Lani, Honua Kai Resort and Spa, Puamana Community Association, Four Season Resorts Maui at Wailea and Montage.

The team was the sixth class trained and the sixth class in the state to start since the COVID-19 pandemic under the guidance of Dr. Alicia Rodriguez, Law Enforcement Clinical Psychologist of Waves of Insight.  

Guest agencies included instructors and representatives from Aloha House, Aloha Psychological Services, Bo Mahoe, Child and Adult Mental Health Division, Consumers & Family Panel, Family Life Center, Four Seasons, Hale Pono Youth Shelter, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Maui Community Mental Health Center, Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room and Molokini Unit, Maui Police Department – CIT Members, Mental Health America, Nicole Edwards, Parents and Children Together, Salvation Army, State of Hawaii Department of Health-Maui District Office, The Queens Medical Center, Tony Lopez, VA Pacific Islands-Maui CBOC and Waves of Insight.