Bowen Center Conducts Crisis Intervention Training
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
Randall, the training coordinator for Bowen Center's Inpatient Unit, is also in his third year of heading up Bowen Center's training for Crisis Intervention Teams.
The program typically takes place twice a year, in March and October, though this year's first session took place Tuesday through Friday.[[In-content Ad]]A group of about 20 law enforcement, first responders and members of the Pierceton Woods Academy were on hand to learn more about mental health issues.
The topics ranged from depression, bipolar disorder and autism to self mutilation and suicide prevention.
The people in the room are often those who deal with people suffering from mental health issues.
And to create a better understanding of what people struggling with those issues go through, the participants of the four-day, 32-hour course, heard an array of mental health experts speak.
They also were able to attend a luncheon Thursday afternoon where several clients of the Bowen Center voluntarily offered to sit with training participants to share their experience with law enforcement and first responders as well as what day-to-day life is like for them.
"I have them fill out a survey at the end of the training," said Randall. "And (the lunch) is consistently something they say they enjoyed."
Randall said there is some hesitation on the part of police officers, but they quickly warm up to the idea.
Thursday's luncheon was a free-flowing back and forth where the clients who volunteered to be on hand had an open dialogue with police and first responders.
The class is geared towards police, firefighters, EMTs, doctors and nurses but teachers, security staff, other hospital staff and groups like those from Pierceton Woods Academy also attend.
The class has also gone on the road to local colleges such as Grace and Manchester.
Part of Randall's goal for the class is also to display some of the local talent in the area outside of Bowen Center staff.
"We're not the only show in town," said Randall on several different occasions. "And we want to show what other people in the community are doing."
To name a few, Tom Low from Our Father's House spoke Wednesday while Jeff "Hoss" Smith from Serenity House spoke Thursday afternoon and Pierceton Deputy Marshall Matt Owens spoke Friday about law enforcement's response to CIT
Participants of the class were also given a tour of the Bowen Center's Inpatient Unit and visited the center's Jefferson Annex where they had lunch with the volunteer clients.
Participants are given a binder with hundreds of pages of information.
And Randall realizes that while the participants won't remember everything or even be interested in everything.
"When we begin the class I tell every class they're not going to be interested in every topic," said Randall. "But if I can get them to have a better understanding that people are people and we all have different needs then we've succeeded. I'm not going to try to get officers out there and to diagnose. Understanding is the goal.
The program is in its' fifth year and in that time has expanded on the definition of "first responders".
The program is leaving an impression on those who take it.
Randall said he has had police and others who have taken the class come back and offer to be involved.
"I've had officers call me and say 'I got to use something I learned'," said Randall.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Todd Sautter, who was in this week's class said he feels more informed about what the Bowen Center does.
"In my 17 years of law enforcement, my knowledge of what goes on here kind of ends at the front door when I drop someone off," said Sautter. "This has given me a better idea of what they do. It's also given me a better idea of the illness that people experience."
Randall, the training coordinator for Bowen Center's Inpatient Unit, is also in his third year of heading up Bowen Center's training for Crisis Intervention Teams.
The program typically takes place twice a year, in March and October, though this year's first session took place Tuesday through Friday.[[In-content Ad]]A group of about 20 law enforcement, first responders and members of the Pierceton Woods Academy were on hand to learn more about mental health issues.
The topics ranged from depression, bipolar disorder and autism to self mutilation and suicide prevention.
The people in the room are often those who deal with people suffering from mental health issues.
And to create a better understanding of what people struggling with those issues go through, the participants of the four-day, 32-hour course, heard an array of mental health experts speak.
They also were able to attend a luncheon Thursday afternoon where several clients of the Bowen Center voluntarily offered to sit with training participants to share their experience with law enforcement and first responders as well as what day-to-day life is like for them.
"I have them fill out a survey at the end of the training," said Randall. "And (the lunch) is consistently something they say they enjoyed."
Randall said there is some hesitation on the part of police officers, but they quickly warm up to the idea.
Thursday's luncheon was a free-flowing back and forth where the clients who volunteered to be on hand had an open dialogue with police and first responders.
The class is geared towards police, firefighters, EMTs, doctors and nurses but teachers, security staff, other hospital staff and groups like those from Pierceton Woods Academy also attend.
The class has also gone on the road to local colleges such as Grace and Manchester.
Part of Randall's goal for the class is also to display some of the local talent in the area outside of Bowen Center staff.
"We're not the only show in town," said Randall on several different occasions. "And we want to show what other people in the community are doing."
To name a few, Tom Low from Our Father's House spoke Wednesday while Jeff "Hoss" Smith from Serenity House spoke Thursday afternoon and Pierceton Deputy Marshall Matt Owens spoke Friday about law enforcement's response to CIT
Participants of the class were also given a tour of the Bowen Center's Inpatient Unit and visited the center's Jefferson Annex where they had lunch with the volunteer clients.
Participants are given a binder with hundreds of pages of information.
And Randall realizes that while the participants won't remember everything or even be interested in everything.
"When we begin the class I tell every class they're not going to be interested in every topic," said Randall. "But if I can get them to have a better understanding that people are people and we all have different needs then we've succeeded. I'm not going to try to get officers out there and to diagnose. Understanding is the goal.
The program is in its' fifth year and in that time has expanded on the definition of "first responders".
The program is leaving an impression on those who take it.
Randall said he has had police and others who have taken the class come back and offer to be involved.
"I've had officers call me and say 'I got to use something I learned'," said Randall.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Todd Sautter, who was in this week's class said he feels more informed about what the Bowen Center does.
"In my 17 years of law enforcement, my knowledge of what goes on here kind of ends at the front door when I drop someone off," said Sautter. "This has given me a better idea of what they do. It's also given me a better idea of the illness that people experience."
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