Free Crisis Intervention Training Scheduled in Gatesville for Officers

Coryell County will host Crisis Intervention Training #1850 January 26-30, 2026, at the Gatesville Civic Center, 301 Veteran’s Memorial Loop. The free, 40-hour course runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be taught by Eric Fox of Central Counties Services. The Coryell County Sheriff’s Office will provide TCOLE credit for attendees.

The training fulfills requirements for peace officers licensed on or after April 1, 2018, who must complete crisis intervention training within two years of their licensing date unless the subject matter was covered under the Basic Peace Officer Course. It is also part of the standard four-year training cycle applicable to officers statewide. The course is listed as TCOLE course number 1850 or 3843.

Course content covers the history and implementation of crisis intervention, substance use disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and common mental health conditions that officers encounter in the field. Instruction emphasizes de-escalation and rapport-building skills, approaches to encounters with suicidal individuals, and the legal components of taking a person in crisis into protective custody or transporting them for care. Scenario role play and assessments are required components, designed to provide practical, hands-on experience rather than purely classroom instruction.

For local residents, the training signals an investment in improving how law enforcement responds to vulnerable people in crisis. Enhanced training in de-escalation and understanding of mental health and substance use can reduce the likelihood of confrontational encounters and encourage connections to appropriate behavioral health services. Central Counties Services, the organizer, is a regional behavioral health provider; their involvement links law enforcement training to community mental health resources.

Officers seeking TCOLE credit or department training coordinators can register through Central Counties Services or contact the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office for administrative details and credit verification. The course is free to participants. Community leaders and residents concerned about public safety and mental health response will likely see the effects of this training as officers apply new techniques and referral pathways in day-to-day policing.

This training represents a local implementation of broader state standards aimed at professionalizing responses to crisis situations and building stronger connections between law enforcement and behavioral health services in Coryell County.