CIT Services
It’s Okay to ASK for a CIT Officer
The CIT program is a service to our community, so don’t be afraid to use it. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to call law enforcement to intervene with a person experiencing a mental health crisis, it’s okay to request a CIT officer.

How Family and Friends Can Assist CIT Officers When a Mental Health Crisis Occurs
Mental health crises are stressful for all parties involved. Some preparation before the crisis will help your friend or loved-one get the care needed as soon as possible.
- Find out if CIT is part of your police department.
- When calling for police assistance, ask for a CIT officer.
- Keep a current list of medications and doctors’ names and offer it to the CIT officer when he/she arrives.
- Meet the CIT officer outside if possible and fully explain the crisis and what you would like to happen.
- Make the CIT officer(s) aware of anything you know that upsets the person in the crisis.
- Keep all guns out of the home.
- When the CIT officer arrives, advise them if the person is armed or has access to weapons. Remember, when weapons are involved, police concentrate on the possible threat of violence until it is neutralized.
- Understand, the CIT officer(s) will probably ask you to wait in an area away from the person in a crisis. Let the officer do his or her job and only offer assistance if asked.
- Be prepared to go to the hospital — but remember all CIT calls do not necessarily mean a trip to the hospital.
- Get to know your police department. Introduce your family member or friend to the police when they are not in crisis. Call your police department and have CIT officer stop by your house when he/she has time or go to the police station when a CIT officer will be there.
- Let your family member know the police are there to help.
Educate yourself about your family members’ or friends’ mental illness by requesting information from the NAMI Scranton and Northeast Region, an affiliate of theNational Alliance on Mental Illness.
NEPA CIT Co-Coordinators
Raymond T. Hayes
- Retired Sgt, Pennsylvania State Police
- NEPA CIT, The Advocacy Alliance
- MHFA Instructor
- Instructor, Keystone College
Marie Onukiavage
- NEPA CIT, The Advocacy Alliance
- MHFA Instructor
- Executive Director, NAMI Scranton & Northeast Region
Advisory Council
NEPA Crisis Intervention Team Advisory Council
This council is comprised of organizations and individuals representing a wide range of disciplines and perspectives, who have operational decision making authority for their respective agencies and who possess a strong interest in improving the law enforcement relationships with persons with behavioral health issues.
Lance M. Benedict, Sheriff, Susquehanna County
Donald Bergman, Chief, University of Scranton Police Department
Tim Betti, Warden, Lackawanna County Prison
Scott Constantini, Director of Behavioral Health Wright Center
Harry Coleman, Attorney
Carl Graziano, Chief of Police, Scranton
David Hahn, Director of Emergency Service
Edward Heffron, Ed.D, President/ CEO, Scranton Counselling Center
Carl Mosier, Community Service Specialist
Troop Commander, Pennsylvania State Police, Troop R Dunmore
Edward Shoener, Deacon, Diocese of Scranton, St. Peters Cathedral
Timothy Trently, Chief of Police, Archbald Borough, President Lackawanna County Chiefs’ of Police
Jeremy Yale, Administrator, Lackawanna –Susquehanna BH/ID/EI
NEPA CIT Planning Team
This Team is comprised of individuals representing a wide range of disciplines and perspectives who have demonstrated strong commitment to the delivery and sustainability of CIT. This group includes individuals from law enforcement, first responders, corrections professionals, advocacy, consumer, family and mental health professionals.
Joe Dombroski – Scranton PD
Carl Mosier – Certified Peer Specialist
Kevin Rude – University of Scranton PD
Danny Kapaks – Dunmore PD
Michelle Matyevich – Community Intervention Center
Paul Tomcyzk – Scranton PD
Eugene Ruddy – Lackawanna County Prison
John Trama – Lackawanna County Prison
Sinead O’Hare – Just Believe Recovery Center
Participating Departments & Agencies
- Archbald Police Department
- Blakely Police Department
- Carbondale Police Department
- Clarks Summit Police Department
- Dalton Police Department
- Dalton Fire Department
- Dickson City Police Department
- Dunmore Police Department
- Mayfield Police Department
- Moosic Police Department
- Moscow Police Department
- Old Forge Police Department
- Olyphant Police Department
- Scranton Police Department
- South Abington Police Department
- Taylor Police Department
- Throop Police Department
- Waverly Police Department
- University of Scranton Police Department
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Pennsylvania State Parole
- Commonwealth EMS
- Pennsylvania Ambulance
- Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office
- Lackawanna County Juvenile Detention
- Lackawanna County Mental Health Treatment Court
- Lackawanna County Prison
- Lackawanna County Probation & Parole
- Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department
- Lackawanna County 911
- Susquehanna County Sheriff’s Department
- Susquehanna County Correctional Facility
- Geisinger-CMC Security
- State Correctional Institute at Waymart
- National Park Service- Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area
- Pathstone Corporation
- Scranton Counseling Center
- Allied Services
- NHS
- NAMI Scranton & Northeast Region
- The Advocacy Alliance