Alamance County is excited over the full support of all law enforcement jurisdictions within the county in having entire agencies trained in Crisis Intervention Team Training (40 hour course). In addition, EMS also is sending many of its staff.

10 CIT trainings for Law Enforcement and EMS have taken place since October 2016 including 180 law enforcement officers and 20 EMS/C-Com

20 LE Executives have completed CIT Command Staff Training (Lt. Rank and Higher)

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA is an 8 hour course) 38 MHFA trainings conducted since October 2016 with 654 trained including all Detention Center Staff and many community professionals and others.

A local team from Alamance County was among 18 counties invited to attend Attorney General Josh Stein’s Roundtable on Pretrial Release and Accountability. Included in the local team were the Sheriff, the District Attorney, the Magistrate,  our Clerk of Superior Court, our Chief Superior Court Judge and Chief District Court Judge;  as well as the two Stepping Up Project Coordinators from the Sheriff’s Office.  The team spent the day hearing from the Attorney General and his staff, as well as a host of experts with regard to current law and practice in North Carolina and across the nation.  Select programs from across the state were showcased relative to successful pretrial release programs and work being done as an alternative to incarceration for certain non-violent, misdemeanant type crimes. Alamance County Stepping Up Initiative was one of those showcased.

The local team continues to meet around local pretrial release strategies aimed at decreasing jail population and reducing the negative impact for those arrested for certain low level crimes. By late January, the team had already implemented ‘first appearances’ for misdemeanor defendants within 72 hours of booking. Additional reform strategies are underway in Alamance County as part of The Stepping Up Initiative.

The final Crisis Intervention Team Training for Law Enforcement and First Responders for 2018, was held the week of December 3^rd -7^th at Lake McIntosh Clubhouse in Burlington.  Approximately 25 officers and first responders completed this nationally accredited course and graduated on December 7^th, 2018. This brings the total LE and First Responders completing this training across Alamance County in the last 2 years—to nearly 150. The commitment by local Chiefs of Police and the Sheriff is for 100% of their patrol officers to have this critical mental health crisis response training.

Commissioner Bob Byrd and Kirk Puckett, Public Information Officer for the Sheriff’s Office presented on the Stepping Up Initiative in Alamance County at the NC Rehabilitation Annual Conference in Cary, NC on November 8^th.  The presentation highlighted the national crisis of those with mental illness or mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse, who are being incarcerated for low level, non-violent crimes in county jails, the challenges facing law enforcement and first responders in dealing with this population—and just some of strategies and options for enhancing treatment and services that are being implemented in Alamance County. In addition, information was shared about the model used in Alamance County for convening leaders and community stakeholders to address these critical issues.

Approximately 50 community leaders, agency heads and citizen advocates gathered at the ARMC Cancer Center Auditorium on October 4^th to hear updates on Alamance County Stepping Up including information on the Mental Health Crisis Response Team at the Sheriff’s Office, Pre-Trial Release Planning efforts, latest data;  as well as viewing a video featured on the national NACo website of two Alamance County leaders discussing local efforts for CIT Training  and Crisis Response in Alamance County, NC. The meeting concluded with small break out groups brainstorming ideas and strategies for Community Release and Reentry Planning at the Detention Center.  The next meeting is planned for Spring of 2019.

19 Officers from across Alamance County graduated in Crisis Intervention Team Training ( CIT) on May 11, 2018–including one EMS staff and two Detention Officers.  The 40 hour training was held at Lake McIntosh in Burlington the week of May 7-11.  Since May 2016, more than 130 Officers have been certified in CIT Training.

Sergeant Josh Hayes of the Alamance County Sheriff’s office and Assistant Chief Becky Dixon of the Gibsonville Police Department, Co-Chairs of the Alamance County CIT Steering Committee; address the May 2018 CIT Graduating Class, while Commissioner Bob Byrd looks on.

CIT Graduates pose for picture following graduation on May 11, 2018.

Below are photos from the Alamance County Stepping Up Day of Action held at the Historic Depot in downtown Burlington on Wednesday, May 16^th.  The National Day of Action celebrated 2 years of the Stepping Up Initiative and included a hotdog lunch prepared and served by the Sheriff’s Department, with Smitty’s Homemade ice cream for dessert. Lunch was followed by a program held next door at the Paramount Theater featuring local leaders as well as featured guest Kurtis Taylor of the Alcohol/Drug Council of NC, as well as Kody Kinsley, Interim Director of the NC Division of MH/DD/SAS.  The program highlighted information about the Stepping Up Initiative and the county efforts underway to address this critical issue within our community.

Crowd at Event

Sheriff Johnson, DA Pat Nadolski, and Commissioner Byrd

Kinsley & Taylor

Commissioner Byrd with crowd

Cardinal Innovations

Bryan Hagood

Kurtis Taylor

Sheriff Johnson, Chief Smythe, and Commissioner Byrd

The Board accepted $1.2 million dollars from Cardinal Innovations that will be used to create a mental health diversion and restoration center. The plan is to create a public-private partnership that will operate the center with the county providing the infrastructure and upkeep. County Manager Bryan Hagood detailed for the Board the timeline of The Stepping Up Initiative and the commitment of this group of leaders over the last year and a half, and their relentless work towards a Diversion and Restoration Center in Alamance County. He also mentioned the team’s visit to San Antonio Texas in November, the business plan for the center that was presented to Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, along with this request for funding of 1.2 million dollars that would make possible this vision for the center. Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Interim CEO, Trey Sutton was on hand as was Ric Bruton, Cardinal Senior Executive for Alamance County. Commissioner Bob Byrd and DSS Director Susan Osborne, also highlighted the commitment of the county to support those with mental illnesses.