Table of Contents:

Read time: 4 minutes

Twenty-two law enforcement officers from eight agencies across the Paint Valley ADAMH Board region completed a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team training program on May 8, bringing the region's total number of CIT-certified officers and first responders to 238 since the program launched in 2013.

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announced the graduation of 23 law enforcement officers from the Spring 2026 CIT Training Program on May 1, the largest class in the program's history, marking the milestone as the county's official kickoff to Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Ozark County Sheriff's Department has hired Chris Bryant, a former Emmy Award-winning television journalist with over 25 years of experience — as its first Crisis Intervention Team coordinator, a grant-funded position focused on connecting community members experiencing mental health challenges, substance abuse, or other crises with appropriate local resources.

Worcester city councilors are pushing for a detailed report on how the city currently handles mental health-related 911 calls, following the phaseout of a co-response pilot that paired police officers with clinicians and the departure of Community Healthlink from any co-response role. The inquiry is further pressured by a federal lawsuit filed in March alleging the city improperly defaults to police for mental health emergencies rather than deploying trained clinicians, potentially violating federal disability laws.

Several councilors stressed the need for concrete outcome data — including whether the previous approach reduced arrests, hospitalizations, or repeat calls — which they say has not been adequately provided. City Manager Eric Batista confirmed that some clinician involvement continues at roughly 80 hours per week alongside police, but said a fuller explanation is forthcoming, with a comprehensive report expected to return to council in the coming weeks.

Santa Barbara County's Department of Behavioral Wellness (BWell) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its new South County Child and Family Services Center at 315 West Haley Street, with roughly 60 city, county, and state officials in attendance. The centrally located facility, funded by the California Department of Health Care Services, houses therapists, psychologists, and clinical case workers serving children and families dealing with behavioral issues and severe mental illness, as well as those exiting the jail system or facing homelessness. The opening comes as BWell's co-response program — which pairs licensed mental health practitioners with law enforcement — faces potential funding cuts, with the department looking to the Board of Supervisors to cover its deficit.