ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) is preparing 13 new recruits to head out into the city to address issues such as mental health, homelessness, crisis intervention, and substance use.
ACS’ new training model has been extended to 12 weeks instead of the previous eight-week training. The city said the expanded program allows for more in-depth training in areas such as behavioral health, conflict resolution, and crisis intervention.
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Some of the additional training includes an eight-hour mental health first aid class provided by CNM Ingenuity, a 3-hour deaf cultural sensitivity training geared toward first responders provided by the Deaf Culture Center of New Mexico, and an Alzheimer’s first responder training provided by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Also, the 40-hour WE CARE training, which uses actors to simulate real-life scenarios responders may face, has been expanded to 80 hours.
“This expanded training program is a reflection of our commitment to providing the best possible support to both our responders and the community,” Karen Boise, ACS organizational growth and community relations manager, said in a news release.
Since its inception, ACS has received over 95,000 calls.