Paint Valley ADAMH Trains First Responder Crisis Intervention Personnel

Article Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(Chillicothe) – The Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board announces that 13 law enforcement officers and first responders, who serve in the Paint Valley ADAMH Board region, completed Crisis Intervention Team Training on Friday, May 5, 2023. The weeklong, 40-hour class is designed to train law enforcement officers and first responders in skills that assist them in interacting with individuals with mental illness and/or a developmental disability.

Melanie Swisher, Executive Director of the Paint Valley ADAMH Board, said she, the board, and CIT Planning Committee are excited about being able to offer the training to increase safety for the community, officers, and first responders.

“Our first responders are daily met with crises. This training is so important to equip them with the skills to de-escalate situations safely and provide them with the knowledge of local resources that can assist them,” Swisher said. 

A total of 172 officers and first responders across the Paint Valley ADAMH region have completed CIT training since the first class in 2013. Fayette County has 5 CIT officers, Highland County has 39 CIT officers, Pickaway County has 39 CIT officers, Pike County has 12 CIT officers, and Ross County has 76 CIT officers.

The CIT Planning Committee is comprised of mental health providers from Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center (SPVMHC), law enforcement officers, representatives from the Veterans Administration, and ADAMH staff who worked together to develop the local CIT training. The training is funded by the Paint Valley ADAMH Board, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Ohio provides additional funding for presenters to assure the best training in the state is available for our law enforcement officers.

The training was facilitated by Dr. James Hagen and Dr. Brian Bethel and included presenters from various local agencies including the Pickaway and Ross County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, Chillicothe Police Department, Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, The Ohio State University, SPVMHC, VA Medical Center, NAMI Southern Ohio, and Ohio University Chillicothe. 

The Paint Valley ADAMH Board would like to thank the following businesses for their donation of lunch throughout the training: Buffalo Wild Wings, 7 Miles Smokehouse & Grill, and Giovanni’s Pizza. The Board also extends its appreciation to Casa Del Taco for the discounted meal they provided. 

The Paint Valley ADAMH Board was created in 1967 to ensure the availability of community-based alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services for the residents of Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike, and Ross Counties. For more information, please call the Paint Valley ADAMH Board at 740-773-2283.

May 2023 CIT Officers

Ofc. Brett McMillan, Hillsboro Police Dept.

Sgt. Alex Hopkins, Waverly Police Dept.

Ofc. Michael Maynard, South Bloomfield Police Dept.

Paula Gibson, Scioto County Sheriff’s Dept.

Ofc. Terry A. Davis, VAMC Police Dept.

Lt. Benjamin H. Barker, VAMC Police Dept.

Ofc. Bobby Sizemore, VAMC Police Dept.

Ofc. Chance Blankenship, Chillicothe Police Dept.

Corporal Kodi Jackson, Fayette Co Sheriff’s Dept.

Sheriff Matthew Hafey, Pickaway Co Sheriff’s Dept.

Detective Zackary Johnson, Pickaway Co Sheriff’s Dept.

Deputy Colten Hale, Pickaway Co Sheriff’s Dept.

Deputy Clark Kreager, Pickaway Co Sheriff’s Dept.