Champaign County Deputy Tyler Reasor was named the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Deputy of the Year at an award ceremony held on Thursday.
The Champaign and Logan Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is a partnership between all 11 law enforcement departments and first responders in Logan and Champaign Counties and the behavioral health network of care such as the Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign Counties (MHDAS).
“Sometimes, 911 is called when a person is experiencing a behavioral health crisis and when that happens, dispatch prioritizes sending specially-trained deputies and officers to the scene,” said Director of Treatment and Recovery Services for the Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign Counties Adam Sorensen.
“Deputy Reasor was trained in CIT in 2017 and in 2021, he successfully intervened in a wide range of crises across the county with people of all ages,” said Sorensen. “He consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that people are connected with needed resources and is an outstanding representation of what CIT is about. The Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Board and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are grateful to Deputy Reasor for his service to Champaign County.”
Reasor was awarded four glass tumblers etched with the thin blue line and a bullet stuck straight in it.
“I am proud to represent the sheriff’s office in this manner,” said Reasor. “It is really an accomplishment to know that what we do out there is being resolved.”
Reasor talked about his experience with CIT.
“Sometimes the people we interact with are in a mental crisis or are in a substance abuse crisis,” said Reasor. “People who are mentally ill should not just be sent to jail – they need the resources to get better. CIT helps me determine if they need additional resources and I ask people if they want help and a majority of the people do want help. I have had people go and receive treatment, get help and get better and become productive members of society. That is what CIT is about.”
For more information on the Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign Counties or the CIT, visit www.mhdas.org.
