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Crisis Intervention Teams of Rhode Island Honors Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, Advocacy, and Mental Health Partners With Inaugural Champion Awards

(Middletown, RI; August 15, 2024)—Crisis Intervention Teams of Rhode Island (CIT-RI) has announced its inaugural award winners for champions in crisis intervention. The honorees include partners from the fields of advocacy, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and mental health. Awards will be presented on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the Wyndham Hyatt in Middletown RI, during the annual CIT-RI conference, titled "How to Implement CIT Programming and Transform Crisis Response." Honorees were evaluated based on their active involvement with CIT, connection to the community in which they serve, commitment to training, and impact on the community.

"We had more than 60 nominees for these awards, and all of the nominations were truly inspiring," CIT-RI Statewide Coordinator Liz Gledhill said. "Rhode Island is fortunate to have so many dedicated first responders and advocates working to improve crisis response throughout the state."

"The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association congratulates each of the inaugural Champion Award winners and all of those who advocate for improving crisis response throughout our state," Col. Bradford Connor, president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association and Warwick chief of police, said. "We applaud the work of CIT-RI and the valuable training they provide that allows officers to better serve and protect our communities through enhanced crisis intervention strategies."

CIT-RI started in Rhode Island in 2019, after decades of work by advocates and community partners. CIT is a community partnership that includes members of law enforcement, mental health and substance use disorder professionals; people who live with mental illness and/or substance use disorder; their families; and other people dedicated to improving the community responses to mental health crises.

James McNulty, CIT International’s Advocate of the Year in 2023, said, "This is an incredibly gratifying moment. The vision we first announced in 1997, to bring CIT to Rhode Island, has developed far beyond anything we ever expected. These inaugural Champions deserve CIT Rhode Island’s honors, and we thank them for their leadership."

Since its launch, CIT-RI has certified more than 500 first responders through its 40-hour training academy and has established several steering committees throughout the state. CIT aims to improve crisis response throughout the state by advocating for needed services, focusing on policies and protocols, and by strengthening community partnerships. The CIT model reduces both stigma and the need for further involvement with the criminal justice system by diverting folks in crisis into community-based services

whenever possible. CIT provides a forum for effective problem solving regarding the interaction between the criminal justice and mental healthcare system and creates the context for sustainable change.

"These champions are just a few of the people working hard to help some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable residents," Gledhill said. "We’re excited to recognize their dedication to improving health outcomes for people across the state."

For more information about CIT-RI, please visit citri.org.

2024 CIT-RI Award Winners

First Responders of the Year:

  • Michael Ellis, Richmond Police Department
  • Eli McGurie-Kreuger, Johnston Police Department
  • Matthew Londaro, Johnston Police Department
  • Anthony Grande, North Providence Police Department
  • Brendan Behan, Middletown Police Department
  • Zachariah Kenyon, Providence Fire Department
  • Craig Stanley, South Kingstown Emergency Medical Services

Department of the Year: Narragansett Police Department (Chief Sean Corrigan)

Advocate of the Year: Megan Clingham, Mental Health Advocate, State of RI

Mental Health Partners of the Year:

  • Alison Turner, The Providence Center
  • Amy McCarthy, Gateway Healthcare
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