Crisis Intervention Teams Center of Excellence
Mission
We will seek to develop and maintain partnerships with Oregon criminal justice and behavioral health agencies, organizations and service providers in order to develop and maintain a network of criminal justice and behavioral health professionals, behavioral health advocates, and consumers to promote excellence in law enforcement behavioral health training throughout Oregon.
Vision
The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) – Center for Policing Excellence (CPE) and The Oregon Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Integration (OCBHJI) are jointly committed to promoting the development of criminal justice behavioral health training programs, such as Crisis Intervention Teams and other specialized police response models, throughout Oregon. The objective of this partnership is to assist criminal justice and behavioral health agencies in providing a more effective and compassionate response to people experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The joint effort shall be known as the CIT Center of Excellence (CITCOE).
CIT Works
Research has demonstrated that CIT trained officers demonstrate more knowledge about mental health than non CIT trained officers. Additionally, CIT trained officers are more likely to make a mental health referral and less likely to make an arrest than non CIT trained officers.
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CIT trained officers who volunteered for the training do better on all these measures than those who were assigned to training, which highlights an important tenet of the Memphis Model to train officers who have volunteered. However, CIT trained officers who were assigned to training do better on all of the measure than those who haven’t been trained in CIT (https://mhttcnetwork.org/centers/southeast-mhttc/problem-criminalization-serious-mental-illness-part-2).
MEET THE TEAM
Julie L. Collinson, MA, NCC, LPC
Behavioral Health Program Coordinator
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Julie Collinson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor, completing her Master’s degree in Professional Mental Health Counseling and
Addictions Studies at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Julie has worked in the public safety sector in Oregon since 2006.
Julie began her career at the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, responsible for creating training programs and nationally recognized conferences in the areas of child abuse, domestic violence, search and rescue, and peer support. In addition to those roles, in 2014 she became the Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator for Clackamas County. In 2018, Julie joined the Oregon Department of Corrections, where she established parenting programs, created education curriculum, and provided support services for children and families of adults in custody. Then, in 2020, Julie joined the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training as a Behavioral Health instructor for the academy part-time. Julie’s experience also includes providing CBT, DBT and mindfulness-based therapy in a non-profit residential facility for adjudicated youth offenders, in partnership with the Oregon Youth Authority, and currently holds a private clinical practice specializing in working with first responders and military professionals who have experienced trauma.
In March of 2022, Julie joined DPSST’s Center for Policing Excellence as one of two Behavioral Health Program Coordinators, and member of the CIT Center of Excellence, a collaboration with The Oregon Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Integration (OCBHJI). Julie is also critical incident stress management certified (CISM), clinical member for DPSSTs Peer Support Team and Threat Assessment Team.
Joe Miller
Behavioral Health Program Coordinator
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Joe Miller, an Air Force veteran, began his law enforcement career in 1988. With over 30 years in law enforcement, Joe has held positions in small city, rural county, and large city agencies, with the last 23 years as a police officer with Salem Police Department in Oregon. During his time in the Air Force, Joe also served overseas as a tactical team member with the Emergency Services Teams.
In civilian law enforcement, Joe served as a Patrol Officer, Corporal, Scuba Diver, Riot Team Member, Investigator, Defensive Tactics Instructor, and Hostage Negotiator. Joe has spent the last five years of his career assigned to the Behavioral Health Unit, responding to calls for service involving individuals in the middle of a mental health crisis.
Joe has been a member of the Salem Police Department's Tactical Negotiation Team since 2005, holding various positions as Forward Negotiator, Team Trainer, Cell Supervisor, and Team Leader. During his tenure, Joe has responded to and been involved in hundreds of crisis incidents of all types.
As a private consultant and trainer, Joe has worked with local hospitals, school districts, dispatch centers, and private businesses to develop and improve skills in defensive tactics, crisis communication, and de-escalation. After several years serving as an adjunct instructor at Chemeketa Community College, Joe founded Thane Training Concepts in 2008. Joe is also an associate instructor for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) in both the mental health and defensive tactics disciplines.
Joe has received numerous commendations related to his de-escalation skills as well as two life-saving awards and the Salem Police Department's Officer of the Year award. Joe is the current Oregon representative to the Western States Hostage Negotiators Association and is actively involved in training and other issues affecting Hostage Negotiators from Oregon and across the Pacific Northwest.
Ridg Medford
Behavioral Health and Justice Specialist
Ridg brings over 24 years of experience to the criminal justice system—including over 16 years as a certified officer in Oregon. Now focusing on the intersection of public safety and behavioral health, Ridg applies a trauma-informed lens to systemic reform and organizational growth.
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Drawing on his experience as a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator and a Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner, Ridg specializes in the human element of organizational transition. He works to ensure that complex strategies result in successful adoption by bridging the gap between frontline experience and structured change management methodology. His background is supported by a wide range of credentials, including the Sequential Intercept Model, Trauma-Informed Care, and Mental Health First Aid. He is also a Nationally Certified Anger Management Specialist, a National Certified Crisis Intervention Specialist, and a juvenile fire-setter intervention specialist.
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As an instructor, Ridg teaches officer wellness and crisis intervention at the local, national, and international levels. He currently serves as 1st Vice President of the Board for CIT International and provides guidance on the national advisory board for the NCPI CIT ASSIST program. A dedicated community advocate, Ridg has also lent his leadership to several local boards, including the Housing Authority of Malheur and Harney Counties.
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When he isn’t facilitating workshops or driving systemic change, Ridg is a passionate outdoorsman who finds his balance in the mountains with his family and friends.
