Community Relations

Left  to Right: Missoula Police Dept. Chief Jaeson White, Officer Jay Gillhouse, NAMI Board President Suzin Kratina, and CIT Program Manager Theresa Williams

August 2021
Officer Jay Gillhouse of the Missoula Police Department is the first award recipient in Missoula’s Crisis Intervention Team Recognition Award program.

Gillhouse was honored for his care and understanding in working with people in crisis as well as his skill in helping everyone involved when law enforcement receives a call for assistance. He is also known for extra assistance in helping youth who are in crisis or experiencing homelessness.

“Strengthening our crisis response system is a long-term goal of our Crisis Intervention Team,” said CIT Program Manager Theresa Williams. “CIT officers have an active and integral role in reshaping this system. They respond to behavioral health crisis calls for service on their own or with the Mobile Support Team, and they are showing up on scenes as if it’s their own friend or family member in crisis. They ensure the scene is safe, take the time to listen to the person in crisis (and their family members) and support long-term, recovery-oriented outcomes.”

Here’s what people wrote about Gillhouse’s service in nomination for the award:

• Jay is able to see people for who they are – human. He is easy to coordinate care with, and I take comfort in knowing that he is always trying to make sure who he is interacting with will find safety and assistance they need. I’m very grateful to have him as an officer in our community.
• I work at the Poverello Center, and I have seen Officer Gillhouse on many occasions assist our clients who are in mental crisis. He has tried helping some of the youth around the shelter find safer accommodations than the Poverello Center to stay, and he seems to care while upholding the law side of situations.

Gillhouse works as one of two full-time, year-round uniformed officers dedicated to patrolling the downtown area. The Downtown Policing Program is a collaboration among the City, the Downtown Missoula Partnership and the Missoula Parking Commission.

Gillhouse joined the Missoula Police Department in 2018 after nine years of service with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He became a downtown officer last year. He attended the 40-hour CIT Basic Academy in April 2021, and he is the Law Enforcement CIT Representative on the CIT Stakeholder Coordination Team.

Suzin Kratina, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Missoula Board President, presented Gillhouse with the first CIT Officer Award.

“Thank you for giving NAMI Missoula the opportunity to acknowledge the great work that CIT and Officer Gillhouse are doing,” Kratina said.

December 2021

Please help us congratulate this quarter's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officers--Officer Brandon LaRocque and Officer Salisha Tennison, with the City of Missoula Police Department, were nominated by members of our community for providing exceptional care and compassion for individuals in crisis.

Officer Tennison was nominated because she is "patient centered and displays strong crisis intervention/de-escalation skills." Her nominator shared an example of a time she sat with an individual in crisis that needed support with filling out a housing application--going above and beyond her duties.

Officer LaRocque was nominated due to the incredible job he has done co-responding to calls with MFD's Mobile Support Team. The nominator writes, "Officer LaRocque did an excellent job, along with another officer, of de-escalating the client [an 18 year old] after she briefly walked away from the crisis center." This individual was struggling with a conflict at home and was regulating at local crisis center.

Cool fact: Officer LaRocque's cousin is Firefighter John LaRocque here at MFD.