By 
Local law enforcement officials participated in Crisis Intervention Training this week.
The training was facilitated by Kari Johnston, executive director of the Human Service Agency. The training was held at the Codington County Extension Complex, and included tours of HSA facilities, Serenity Hills and the Beacon Center. A variety of local experts spoke on dealing with mental health issues in specific populations, such as youth, the elderly, neurodivergent individuals, and the intellectually disabled. The training also included discussions with previous mental health care consumers and their families.
“We started doing this in 2012, and the number of crisis cases that we have to evaluate has dropped, because they (law enforcement) have learned how to talk to people. (It’s) a lot less traumatic for people in psychiatric crisis,” Johnston said.
The afternoon sessions were spent putting these new skills into action. Actors from the Barbara Schnieder Foundation were on hand and acted out various scenarios with participants.
“A lot of times, the end goal in our roleplays is to come to our crisis stabilization center,” Johnston. “We’re trying to help the officers de-escalate.”
Based in Minneapolis, the Barbara Schnieder Foundation started in 2000, following a fatal officer-involved shooting during a mental health call. The organization provides mental health training resources for law enforcement.
A grant from the Watertown Area Community Foundation helped bring the actors to Watertown.
Kari Johnston observes a roleplay. Photo by Brandon Heim, Watertown Current.
