Crisis Intervention Team Training

University of South Alabama Main Campus

Joy Aull

Joy Aull has 25 years of experience in collaborating with federal, state and local agencies in addition to university/college officials to implement strong preemptive community education and professional development programs. Joy first began working with adolescents and transition-aged youth in college as a volunteer at a Boys Ranch for delinquent juveniles and later as an intern at a tri-county Restitution Center in the state of Texas. Upon graduating with her Bachelors in Behavioral Science, Joy worked as a mentor in an alternative high school and as a state parole officer at a male prison and halfway house. After relocating to Louisiana, Joy graduated from the regional police academy with the highest scholastic honor and began working as a state commissioned officer at Louisiana State University, and later at Centenary College. Joy worked as a patrol officer and supervisor rising to the rank of Police Captain over the Special Services Division which included grant acquisition, community education programs, technology and disaster response. Living in Louisiana she had extensive hands on disaster response experience working with diverse populations pre and post Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Rita. Joy is an instructor in Community Emergency Response and Critical Incident Management. After moving to Alabama with her spouse, Joy went to work for as the Training Specialist for the Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Project where she focused on enhancing our communities’ trauma and disaster resilience through the development of the mental and behavioral health capacity of first responders, educators and community service providers. Joy has continued her professional development through Certification as an Adult, Youth and Public Safety Mental Health First Aid Instructor under the auspices of the National Council for Behavioral Health and training in Crisis Intervention Teams from CIT International. Currently, she is a program director at the University of South Alabama Center for Continuing Education and Conference Services.

Zeke Aull

Chief Zeke Aull is an innovative police chief with over 27 years of experience in both college and university law enforcement at four unique institutions in the States of Louisiana and Alabama. He is dedicated to implementing strong crime prevention/education programs in addition to crisis response initiatives and training to prepare the campus community for emergency situations. Chief Aull has extensive experience in narcotics, patrol, criminal investigations, and VIP protection. He also has firsthand experience in crisis management with Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Rita. Chief Aull is a Post Certified F.B.I. Instructor and has numerous certifications including being an Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Instructor and Hostage Negotiator. He also is an executive member of the regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee. As part of his commitment to community policing, Chief Aull has been very active in the development of Mental Health First Aid Training and Crisis Intervention team training for law enforcement.

Thomas Loftis

Charles Sutherlin

Chuck Sutherlin currently serves as a Sergeant with the Foley Police Department in Baldwin County, Alabama. He is a 14 year veteran law enforcement officer and previously served in the US Army as a Military Police Officer. Chuck's interest in Mental Health evolved through his long term commitment to special needs citizens through the Special Olympics. In 2014, he was selected to represent his department in a regional Mental Health project that incorporates Crisis Intervention training and Mental Health First Aid® training for public safety employees in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Chuck was instrumental in creating a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program at the Foley Police Department, the first in Baldwin County. He currently serves on the Mobile-Baldwin CIT Steering Committee and is the CIT Coordinator for the Foley Police Department.