LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution is training employees in crisis de-escalation techniques aimed at improving safety for both staff and inmates.
A total of 23 employees from Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution and the Allen County Juvenile Courts graduated Friday morning from Crisis Intervention Training, commonly known as CIT. The program is a 40-hour course completed over one week.
The training focuses on mental health awareness and places participants in real-life scenarios designed to help them better manage high-pressure situations. The goal is to identify the root cause of a crisis and provide alternative solutions that can lead to safer outcomes.
A total of 23 employees from Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution and the Allen County Juvenile Courts graduated Friday morning from Crisis Intervention Training, commonly known as CIT.
“It gives us the ability to redirect them and offer them solutions to whatever crisis moment they're in at the time. So, you got to give your employees the tools to do the job and in corrections. This is a big tool. It's a big tool to be able to know how to negotiate, talk, utilize your I-P-C skills, and then really just bring a person down, and then be able to effectively communicate again to deescalate, redirect, and then help them solve their issues," says Ryan Walters, Warden, Allen Oakwood Correctional Institute.
Graduates received a certificate and a pin recognizing their completion of the program and their ability to guide individuals toward positive outcomes during high-stress situations.
“This CIT pin, it means something, as noted in the class, we're proud because now you're one of the most highly skilled and highly trained individuals that our agency has to offer when it comes to crisis intervention,” adds Walters.
The Crisis Intervention Training program is open to corrections departments across Ohio, with approximately two to three training courses offered each year.
