About.The Kansas CIT Association is established to represent communities in Kanas served by CIT programs, to promote strengthening and expanding CIT programs, and to improve outcomes for law enforcement officers and individuals affected by behavioral health crises.
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Established in 1988In 1988, Memphis, Tennessee introduced the first Crisis Intervention Team as a vital component to the community's demand for safer first responder crisis services. Since that time the CIT movement has grown to encompass more than 600 communities nationwide.
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Our MissionKansas CIT Association's mission is to strengthen partnerships between law enforcement, mental health providers and the communities they serve, to develop new CIT programs in underserved areas and support the missions of our existing CIT Councils, to facilitate training opportunities for our association's members, and maintain a database of resources for our members.
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Board of Directors
Amber Rhoden
Lawrence Police Dept.
President
Officer Amber Rhoden has been an officer since 2008, and she is the Chairperson of the Douglas County CIT Council which she created in February of 2014. She created and implemented the 40-hour CIT training that is being used throughout Douglas County. Amber is currently assigned to the Lawrence Police Department’s Mental Health Team, which is a dedicated team of officers paired with a co-responder that respond to in-progress calls for service and conduct follow up that involve individuals experiencing a mental health or co-occurring disorder. She has been involved in numerous collaboration projects with in Douglas County that have brought community partners together towards a better community wide response to individuals in crisis.
A.J. Schmidt
Ottawa Police Dept.
Treasurer
Sergeant AJ Schmidt was born and raised in the Wichita, Kansas area and began his public service career in Emergency Medical Services and Fire Services. Sergeant Schmidt also worked in both adult and juvenile detention centers as well as a reserve law enforcement officer. In April of 2000 he started working for the Ottawa Kansas Police Department as a patrol officer. Sergeant Schmidt was assigned to the investigation division in 2001 and served as an investigator in general crimes for approximately six months before being assigned to the Franklin County Drug Enforcement Unit where he served for a little more than two years before serving another six months in general crime investigations. Sergeant Schmidt was assigned back to a patrol shift in 2004 where he served as an assistant shift supervisor until he was re-assigned to a newly formed domestic violence unit as an investigator. Sergeant Schmidt served as the domestic violence investigator for over four years where he was tasked with investigating domestic violence crimes, child crimes, sexual assault crimes and other person crimes as well as teaching officers in domestic violence investigation techniques. Sergeant Schmidt also assists in teaching classes about teen dating violence and sexual assault to school age children. In 2010 Sergeant Schmidt started working as an assistant patrol supervisor until March of 2013 when Sergeant Schmidt was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served as a patrol shift supervisor. In 2015 Sergeant Schmidt was re-assigned to the investigations division as the division supervisor where he continues to serve.
Sergeant Schmidt is a crisis negotiator, child forensic interviewer, coordinates the Franklin County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and CIT classes, is a certified CIT Coordinator, supervises the Ottawa Police Department Crash Investigation Team, and coordinates the Ottawa Police Department’s sexual assault kit initiative investigations (SAKI), teaches classes related to trauma informed investigations, supervises the Field Training Program and coordinates the recruiting and selection process for new officers. Sergeant Schmidt has attended numerous training classes related to drug investigations, domestic violence investigations, sexual assault investigations, homicide investigations, electronic forensic investigations, crisis intervention team, crisis negotiations, Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team member as well as interview and interrogation techniques.
Sergeant Schmidt is a crisis negotiator, child forensic interviewer, coordinates the Franklin County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and CIT classes, is a certified CIT Coordinator, supervises the Ottawa Police Department Crash Investigation Team, and coordinates the Ottawa Police Department’s sexual assault kit initiative investigations (SAKI), teaches classes related to trauma informed investigations, supervises the Field Training Program and coordinates the recruiting and selection process for new officers. Sergeant Schmidt has attended numerous training classes related to drug investigations, domestic violence investigations, sexual assault investigations, homicide investigations, electronic forensic investigations, crisis intervention team, crisis negotiations, Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team member as well as interview and interrogation techniques.
Letitia Ferwalt
Johnson County District Attorney's Office
Letitia Ferwalt is the mother of a son who was diagnosed as a young child with a mental illness and has devoted her life to advocating for the mentally ill on a local and statewide level. She began her career with the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office in 2001 and is the Diversion Coordinator responsible for the supervision of the Criminal, Traffic, Mental Health Diversion Programs and the Care & Treatment Unit. She joined the Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council of Johnson County in 2009. Letitia teaches several classes as part of her role on the CIT Council.
Jason Hinkle
Lenexa Police Department
Sergeant Jason Hinkle joined the Kansas Crisis Intervention Team Council in 2017. He began his law enforcement career in 2000 and has been with the Lenexa Police Department since 2007. Sgt. Hinkle has worked as a police officer, field training officer, tactical team operator, directed patrol officer, narcotics investigator, and as a general assignment detective. Currently, he is a patrol field supervisor with a collateral duty of supervision of a Mental Health Co-Responder.
Ericka Lysell
Central Kansas Mental Health Center
Ericka Lysell is the Director of Community Support Services at Central Kansas Mental Health Center in Salina KS. She has been employed there for 20 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Kansas in 1998 and Masters of social work at Newman University in Wichita in 2015. She has worked in the capacity as a case manager with youths with serious emotional disturbances and adults with serious emotional disturbances, a psychosocial coordinator for an adolescent psychosocial program, a therapist and a supervisor of a strengths based case management team. Her current position involves overseeing adult psychosocial programming, case management and peer support. She is also a certified teacher of ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and Training) and Youth Mental Health First Aid. She has been active with the Salina CIT council for 2 years.
Chrissy Russell
Valeo Behavioral Healthcare
Chrissy Russell is an LMSW who is a supervisor at Valeo Behavioral Health Care, in the Crisis Diversion Department. She began her career with Valeo in 2015 as a Co-Responder. She was soon promoted to Alternative Sentencing Court Clinician Coordinator/Jail Liaison.
She is currently the Supervisor for the Crisis Case Managers, Co-Responders, Alternative Sentencing Court and Jail Liaison Programs. She has been on the board with the Topeka Fire Department Critical Incident Stress Management Team since 2016 as the Mental Health Professional. She also sits on the Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships Council in Topeka.
She is currently the Supervisor for the Crisis Case Managers, Co-Responders, Alternative Sentencing Court and Jail Liaison Programs. She has been on the board with the Topeka Fire Department Critical Incident Stress Management Team since 2016 as the Mental Health Professional. She also sits on the Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships Council in Topeka.
Gladys Williams
Sedg. County Offender Assessment Program/COMCARE
Gladys Williams M.S., LCMFT is currently the Mental Health Court Therapist for COMCARE of Sedgwick County. Her role works in collaboration with City of Wichita Municipal Court system (judges, lawyers, probation officers, etc.), community service providers, Law Enforcement/Jail and Mental Health professionals to advocate for clients and problem-solve the diverse problems related to mental illness in the criminal justice system. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Wichita State University and graduate degree from Friends University receiving her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. Gladys has worked for COMCARE of Sedgwick County for over 11 years during which she has had several roles including; case manager with the youth, Emergency Services Crisis Case Manager on the suicide hotline, Crisis Services Senior Social Worker and Crisis Stabilization Unit Team Supervisor. She is actively involved with the Sedgwick County CIT Council and has been a member for almost 4 years. Gladys has taught during CIT trainings and Law Enforcement Recruits on topics such as Motivational Interviewing, Crisis Intervention, and Introducing Community Partners to Mental Health Court. She is also a certified teacher of ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and Training). Other experience includes clinical private practice and community service with refugees.
Heather Buller
Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center
Heather currently serves as Assistant Director for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) for Professional and Continuing Education. She is tasked with developing, managing and delivering continuing education programs to law enforcement across the State. Heather joined the KLETC staff in 2011 after serving 9 years as the Associate Director of the Regional Community Policing Training Institute (RCPI) at Wichita State University. In her tenure with the RCPI, she provided training and technical assistance to Law Enforcement Agencies and Professional Organizations in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa. Heather has been assisting with statewide CIT coordination since 2011 in cooperation with the Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disabilities.
Lane Mangels
CKF Addiction Treatment
Lane was employed by the Salina Police Department for 18 years, where he worked as a patrol officer, field training officer, canine handler, narcotics detective, and criminal detective. He has been a Mental Health First Aid instructor since 2014 and founded the Salina-Saline County CIT Council in 2015. He is a CIT International certified CIT coordinator and has been responsible for training over 100 officers in CIT or Mental Health First Aid. After leaving the Salina Police Department, Lane went to work at CKF Addiction Treatment (formerly Central Kansas Foundation for Alcohol and Chemical Dependency), where he serves as the Chief Operations Officer. He is also a reserve officer for the Lindsborg Police Department.
Jeffrey Robinson
Wyandot Center
Jeffrey Robinson: Jeff currently serves as the Jail / Court Liaison with Wyandot Center in Kansas City, Wyandotte County, KS. In the near 20 years Jeff has worked in the field of Human Services, he has held multiple positions. Throughout his 10 year career at Wyandot Center, he has worked passionately with individuals living with Severe Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). Also, working with Homeless Outreach, Supported Housing, and the Kansas Supported Housing Offender Program (KSHOP) assisting with reintegration for people previously KDOC incarcerated. In his current Role, Jeff helps to bridge the gap within the local correction and legal systems advocating for consumers who may be lost or become trapped in a cycle of recidivism. Over the past 6 years, Jeff has been actively involved in the CIT Program of Wyandotte County and currently assists with their local CIT Council.
Katie Yarsulik
Kansas City Kansas Police Department
Katie has worked on the KCKPD since 2005, previous to that she was also employed by KUPD in Kansas City as an officer. Katie is currently assigned to Operations and works in the field as a Captain. She has been involved with CIT since 2015 and now serves as the co-coordinator for the police department’s CIT program. She is involved in training and also serves on the Wyandotte County CIT Council.
Danica Baird
Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office
Danica joined Kansas C.I.T. association in 2019. She has been serving as a Deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office for the past 9 years and is LEO certified through the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. During her years of service, she has worked in all aspects of the Adult Detention Center including working in the housing units, intake, as a Jail Training Officer, and as Acting Sergeant. She has even served as a deputy in the Offender Registration Unit. Training and education are a huge part of Danica’s personal and professional philosophy. She has been instrumental in bringing standardized intake booking/release training to the Adult Detention Center and in the development of a Peer Support Team for the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office. Danica is trained in C.I.T. and is an IACP trained peer supporter. As a hobby and a passion, Danica trains and competes as a Powerlifter with the Sheriff’s Office internal team.