About ACITA
Advancing Crisis Intervention Team programs across the State of Arizona
Our Mission
The Arizona Crisis Intervention Team Association (ACITA) is a nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to facilitate the understanding, development, and implementation of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs throughout the State of Arizona. We bring together law enforcement, mental health professionals, public safety agencies, advocates, and community members to build a coordinated, compassionate response to mental health crises.
What Is CIT?
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training. Developed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1988 following a tragic incident involving a person in mental health crisis, CIT has since become the national standard for law enforcement response to mental health emergencies. The program equips officers and first responders with the skills, knowledge, and resources to safely and effectively respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis — diverting them away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate care.
How ACITA Advances CIT
Training
ACITA supports and promotes 40-hour CIT training programs for law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel across Arizona, ensuring first responders have the tools to de-escalate and connect individuals to care.
Community Partnership
Effective CIT requires collaboration. ACITA fosters partnerships between public safety agencies, mental health providers, hospitals, advocacy organizations, and people with lived experience of mental illness.
Advocacy
ACITA advocates at the state and local level for policies, funding, and systems that support CIT programs and improve outcomes for individuals in mental health crisis across Arizona.
Education
We work to reduce stigma and increase public understanding of mental health crises through education, outreach, and engagement with communities across the state.
Our History in Arizona
CIT programs have been operating in Arizona for over two decades. ACITA was established to provide a statewide home for these programs — a place where coordinators, trainers, and advocates could connect, share resources, and advance the model together. Today, ACITA supports CIT programs in counties and municipalities across Arizona, from large urban departments to rural and tribal agencies.
Get Involved
Whether you're a law enforcement agency looking to start a CIT program, a mental health professional interested in partnering, or a community member who wants to support the work — ACITA welcomes you. Membership is free and open to all.
Become a Member