JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- There's a mental health crisis in our state and across the country. Over the decades, psychiatric hospitals have closed, leaving more individuals with mental illness out on the streets, often times with no treatment or medication.

Police officers are finding themselves in a unique position to help fix a broken system. And that effort is under way right here in the Alleghenies thanks to the Laurel Highlands Region Crisis Intervention Team.

They're the first responders dispatched for a crisis call. They're forced to make split second decisions, and when confronted with a suspected threat, they're quick to take action to serve and protect. But police officers are finding what sometimes appears to be a disturbing the peace call is something entirely different: A person in distress who really only needs help.

"They're not flawed people," said Peggy McGuirk. "They're not people who are bad. They just have a bad illness."

McGuirk has needed to call on police in the past. She has a loved one diagnosed with schizophrenia.

"You're always afraid that when a police officer comes, if they're needed and a situation is out of their control, you're worried about how they're going to react and you're worried about your loved one's safety," said McGuirk.

A group of about two dozen men and women are the latest to be certified in crisis intervention training. It's a 40 hour, extensive course in which they volunteer to learn how to deal with those who are mentally ill.

Philip Cromwell agreed to share some of the intimate details of his psychosis with the group, from his darkest days of depression to his manic highs, a vicious cycle Cromwell said always seemed to include the police.

Cromwell said, "I've been thrown to the ground, had the knee put in the back of my neck. I've gone to jail many times."

Last year, Johnstown's CIT officers responded to 234 crisis calls. CIT Officer Dan Marguccio was one of the first officers in the state to earn the CIT distinction. Now, he's helping to train others on the force from nearly two dozen departments covering Cambria and Somerset Counties.

Marguccio said, "We're a little different police officer. I can say it's reducing our injuries. Ya know, if we can talk someone down, rather than hustle with them, I'd rather do that."

CIT training is breaking barrier that often exist between the mentally ill and police.

Wendy Stewart of National Alliance on Mentally Ill Cambria County said "The officers are able to deescalate the situation right on the scene and they don't have to arrest a person and they don't even have to take the to the hospital."

CIT officers are trained to alter their approach. They learn to speak softly, rather than shouting commands. They learn to repeat phrases and keep their distance while always maintaining eye contact. They hit the books, delving into the clinical issues, medication and its side effects. They listen to experts and advocates and to those who this training means the most.

Officer Melanie Kline of the Jackson Township Department said, "I never thought in a million years that they would send a National Guard unit from Johnstown, Pennsylvania right into the front lines. We were losing one, two, three soldiers a day."

Kline is an example of the estimated 20 percent of returning troops who suffer from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. She lost friends in Iraq and this Jackson Township officer almost gave up.

Kline said, "When I came back, I was sleeping a lot. I was depressed. The guy who I had been engaged to left me. It's 100 percent better now, especially because of my CIT training, I got a chance to talk about my experiences."

Most veterans like Kline get better in six months. But for about 40 percent, it's a lifetime struggle. She's here for those vets who are often misunderstood when experiencing symptoms like flashbacks.

Kline said, "Ask them what's going on or if they're OK. Just throwing in that question may change their whole approach on how they deal with the situation."

Sgt. Phil Staib of the Somerset Police Department said, "A lot of times we find out they're not taking their medication any longer and that's what's creating the problems."

The Laurel Highlands Region program is built on community health care and advocacy partnerships and is based on a nationally recognized model developed by the Memphis Police Department. Since taking root here, officer and mental health injuries are down, arrests are down, and health care referrals are up.

Perhaps most striking of all, officers begin to understand what it's like to be in the grip of a mental illness. Empathy erases stereotypes and misconceptions. These men and women are armed with new knowledge and new friends.

Cromwell said, "We trust them now. We don't panic when we see them coming. We're on a first name basis now. We know these officers. They're like family, like friends."

The Laurel Highlands Region CIT program is taking off. Not only have members of law enforcement been certified, but so has a local 911 dispatcher, a district magistrate, plus hospital security and prison guards.