CIT Rhode Island

CIT-RI delivers training and technical assistance that strengthen crisis response systems by supporting effective policies and protocols, advocating for needed services, and fostering collaborative community partnerships.

Meet the Team

Caitlin Gomes - LMHC, QMHP

Executive Director
Caitlin began her career nearly 15 years ago as a substance abuse therapist at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. After earning her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Rhode Island College, she became an emergency services clinician in 2016, working across community mental health agencies, emergency departments, and police and fire departments. Passionate about mental health and substance use education, Caitlin first served as one of our expert presenters before joining our team full-time.

cgomes@citri.org
(401) 744-0597

Sarah Begin

Stakeholder and Community Engagement Coordinator
Sarah strengthens our team with an extensive medical administrative background that will help navigate community needs and public healthcare systems. Her families lived experience of mental health crisis support by positive police de-escalation inspired her to redirect her career. She lives locally in South Kingstown with her husband and blended family of seven children.

sbegin@citri.org
(401) 500-3232

Amy Short

Stakeholder and Community Engagement Coordinator
Amy brings extensive experience navigating both the administrative and clinical sides of healthcare. She also has a strong background in building community relationships, a skill she developed while running her own photography business for more than a decade. Amy has significant lived experience with mental health crises, including interactions with healthcare and law enforcement systems. She enjoys surfing and exploring the woods, and lives in South County with her cats, River and Chuck, and her dog, Lemmy.

ashort@citri.org
(401) 749-6934

Dan Swords

CIT Training Coordinator
Dan has more than five years of experience in learning and development, implementing effective training initiatives grounded in adult learning theory. As Training Coordinator, he fosters strong partnerships among law enforcement agencies, behavioral health providers, municipalities, individuals with lived experience, and other community organizations. He works to ensure Rhode Island first responders receive high-quality, collaborative training that is responsive to community needs and promotes safe, compassionate outcomes for people experiencing mental health and substance use crises.

dswords@citri.org

CIT-RI Partnerships Across the Crisis Spectrum

Representatives from the advocacy, police, mental health, and substance use backgrounds are present in our steering committees, at our training academies, or through curriculum and program development.

Partnership is the foundation on which CIT programs thrive.

CIT-RI is proud to work with countless partners across the state. If you or your agency would like to be involved, please reach out to our coordinators.

CIT-RI Training

NOTICE - CIT trainings are briefly paused while the team transitions to a new backbone agency.
Trainings are scheduled to resume in Fall 2026.

Our trainings and workshops are specifically designed for police and other crisis workers. If you’re unsure if your occupation qualifies, please email Caitlin Gomes at CGomes@citri.org.

All of our trainings are offered at no-cost. We have limited capacity for each training, so please sign-up early!

40-Hour CIT Academy

CIT-RI offers a 40-hour training program that is taught by subject matter experts including behavioral health clinicians, police officers, social workers, people with relevant lived experience, and more.

At the end of the training, participants will be able to:

Understand the common signs and symptoms of mental illness
Safely de-escalate individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis
Utilize available resources and diversion strategies to provide assistant

Other CIT Trainings and Workshops

In order to maintain certification, CIT responders must complete a total of eight hours of CIT training every three years.

Trainings Offered

CIT Recertification Training
Special Population/Topic Training
Skills-based Workshops
8-Hour Basic Mental Health Training (also open to non-CIT certified responders)

“[CIT] is the future of law enforcement”

- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island

In 2019, community partners in Washington County identified Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training as a strategy to address behavioral health provider shortages, high emergency department utilization, and elevated rates of depression and suicide. Law enforcement agencies from Narragansett, South Kingstown, Westerly, and Richmond sponsored the first CIT academy and established the Washington County CIT Steering Committee. Since then, CIT programming has expanded statewide with support from local, state, and federal partners.

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