Treatment, not jail, is always the goal

NAMI Kane County North wishes to extend our gratitude to the Elgin Police Department, Chief Jeff Swaboda, Sgt. Robert Plak, Officer Kevin Kamenjarin for their commitment to Crisis Intervention Training.

Our thanks are extended also to all the dedicated members of the team. A recent training brought the number of EDP Certified CIT trained officers to 55, and that number will continue to grow.

Law enforcement officers are generally the first responders to persons in crisis or experiencing symptoms of mental illness. The 40-hour State-Certified CIT training provides officers with education about mental illness and provides skills and tools for effectively and safety interacting with someone in crisis.

On Dec. 14, 2016, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cares Act into law. The law includes key pieces of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016 (H.R. 22646), the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016 (S. 2680) and the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015 (S. 2002).

The Cure Act will improve integration and program coordination across federal agencies that serve people with mental illness and remove unfair barriers to mental health care. It will also address the needs of people with mental illness who become entangled in the criminal justice system. The law also provides vital new tools for law enforcement, including grants for crisis intervention teams (CIT); federal mental health courts; and creation of a National Justice and Mental Health Training Center.

So, thank you EPD. Your commitment to education about mental illness will help insure the safety of your officers and our loved ones. You are also demonstrating to our community that people with mental illness are not about the law, but deserve to be treated with empathy ad compassion. Treatment, not jail, is always our ultimate goal.

Laurie Huske

Board president

NAMI Kane County North