The Missouri CIT Council is excited to bring additional funding for scholarships to the Missouri Crisis Intervention (MO CIT) Conference again this year. There are two scholarship options; one for those expanding CIT to new areas called The Stevenson CIT Scholarship Award; and the another for those who currently have an existing CIT Council in their area called The Nikk Thompson CIT Scholarship Award. See below description on each of the scholarship awards. 

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A limited number of scholarships are available for law enforcement officers in areas with and without an existing CIT Council to attend the MO CIT Conference on March 28, 2017, at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri.  The scholarships will include the conference fee ($40) and hotel stay ($95 plus tax). Breakfast and lunch are provided during the conference. Mileage and other meals expenses will be at the participants own expense.  

Scholarship applications are due by January 31, 2017 and recipients will be notified by February 15, 2017.

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The Stevenson CIT Scholarship Award:

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The Stevenson CIT Scholarship Award was established in honor of Richard Stevenson and in memory of his sister Linda, who struggled with mental illness and died by suicide.

Richard, in his role at the National Alliance on Mental Illness-NAMI St. Louis, worked tirelessly for 12 years (2004-2016) to develop and support the CIT program in the greater St. Louis area, as well as throughout Missouri.  The CIT program would be less than what it is today without him.  Richard assisted in planning and delivering courses teaching officers how to effectively respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.  He dedicated his career to this program. His hard work grew a single-agency program into a statewide initiative.  Helplessness has converted to hopefulness. All are forever grateful for service and dedication.

 

These Missouri CIT Conference scholarships are awarded to law enforcement officers in Missouri who serve in areas that do not currently have a CIT program and who plan to assist in establishing new programs for their communities, thereby increasing awareness of Missouri CIT and further expanding and improving law enforcement response to mental health crises state-wide.

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The Nikk Thompson CIT Scholarship Award: 

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The Nikk Thompson CIT Scholarship award was established in honor and memory of Nelson “Nikk” Thompson, who is responsible for the start of CIT in the state of MO.

 

Nikk worked for the Lee’s Summit Police Department for 27 years and during his time with the police department, he, along with two other individuals, brought CIT to the area. The initiative spread through the Kansas City Metro area and all across the State of Missouri and into Kansas. Nikk retired from Lee’s Summit Police Department in 2007 to become the CIT Coordinator for NAMI Kansas City. Nikk was responsible for researching CIT and collaborating with area providers and local law enforcement and bringing everyone together. He was instrumental in the CIT training in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

 

These conference scholarships are awarded to law enforcement officers in the state who are located in areas with existing CIT programs, to increase knowledge and involvement in the CIT program.

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