Mobile Mental Health Professionals Recognized Nationally

City of Mobile Deputy Director of Public Safety Curtis Graves and AltaPointe Director of Crisis and Justice-Involved Services Dr. Cindy Gipson were recognized at the most recent National Alliance on Mental Illness Alabama conference. “Because of their work with our Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Dr. Gipson was given the Director’s Award, and Deputy Director Graves was named Executive of the Year,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. “This is well-deserved for a pair of professionals who are working every day to protect citizens [and] officers and [to] better serve Mobilians dealing with mental health crises.” The CIT is a specially trained group of officers and mental health professionals who respond when police are engaging someone experiencing a mental health crisis. The Mobile Police Department receives more than 2,000 calls every year that require some form of mental health service, evaluation or knowledge. The city’s Public Safety Department aims to make sure each precinct has at least one CIT-trained officer on its staff and that all first responders have appropriate training and access to a mental health clinician when in the field.