CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

Thank you for your interest in presenting at the Canadian CIT Summi 2026!  Please read this entire document before completing and submitting your workshop proposal. 

General Information

CIT International is accepting Workshop Proposals for the 2026 CIT International Summit in Hamilton, Ontario, October 19 - 21, 2026 at the Hamiton Convention Center.  Deadline for submission of a presentation is May 8, 2026. 

This year’s Summit will present 50 separate workshops over a three-day period.  All workshops will be 60 minutes in length and presented in rooms that allow for 200-300 attendees.  

Presenters are encouraged to submit workshops that focus on Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programming and on Crisis System Transformation.

CIT Programming:  Diverse presentations that focus on implementing aspects of the best practice guidelines for the full CIT program. Examples of workshops focus areas are:

• Building the Steering Committee
• MOUs and agreements that govern the CIT local partnerships
• Innovative CIT and community collaborations for adult, adolescent, and children’s populations
• CIT program growth and sustainability issues
• Improving community collaboration
• How CIT data is collected
• De-escalation skills
• Suicide risk assessment
• Personal Communications (i.e. Emotional Intelligence)
• Self-Care and Employee Wellness
• Clinical topics for CIT training
• Advances in CIT training methods
• Developing advanced training topics
• Intellectual/Developmental Disability issues
• Responding to diverse and underserved populations (i.e. LGBTQ+, racial/ethnic groups, hearing impaired)
• Issues related to persons with lived experience, families, or caregivers of loved ones

Crisis System Transformation:  Diverse presentations that highlight efforts to implement national best practice standards for Crisis Response Systems.  Examples of workshops focus areas are:

• Jail and/or prison diversion
• 911/988 coordination
• 988 mobile crisis dispatching
• Co-Response Initiatives
• Law enforcement/mobile crisis partnership
• Increased utilization of certified peer support across services in crisis response
• Policy development that advances crisis response and CIT at the local and state levels

Special consideration will be given to workshops that are centered around Veteran’s issues; Homelessness (un-housed); Co-Response; Funding, and Advanced Topics.

Presentations:  Our attendees want to leave the Summit with new ideas that have real world applicability and/or demonstrated results. Presentation topics will be selected that best illustrate these characteristics, are interactive with the audience and draw audience appeal. Presentations are desired for all levels of CIT knowledge; basic, intermediate, and advanced.  PowerPoint presentations must use Georgia, Tahoma, or Arial font that are no smaller that 24 points.  All videos that are part of presentations MUST have Closed Captioning.  For other presentation Tips for PowerPoint click Here

Who attends:  Summit participants include law enforcement personnel, corrections personnel, mental health professionals, Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) professionals, persons living with mental health disorders and/or IDD, family members, advocates, judges / court personnel, public defenders / prosecutors, emergency medical service personnel, policy makers and other professionals.

Submission Guidelines:

• Length of Workshop: 60-minute presentation by one speaker or a panel of no more than four (4) individuals.
• Workshop Title: Interesting title that identifies the primary focus of the workshop and captures the interest of the participants.
• Workshop Description: A clear, concise description of the workshop as it will appear in the program.  This must be consistent with what is being presented.
• Learning Objectives: Describe at least three measurable skills, knowledge, and/or new capabilities the participant will gain as a result of the workshop.
• Presenter Information and Bios: Provide the following for each presenter:
• Name
• Rank/title
• Organization
• Address
• Email
• Phone number 
• Headshot
• Bio

• Accessibility Notice: Individuals in need of special accommodations to fully participate in this Summit, will need to identify those needs to ensure full participation. This can be identified on the Registration Form. For additional information please contact: conference@citinternational.org

Presenters will be notified of acceptance by June 19, 2026.  All selected presenters must complete their Summit Speaker Agreement and return it to CIT International no later than July 3, 2026, or they will not be allowed to present.  Additionally, presenters from all selected workshops MUST be registered for the Summit no later than July 17, 2026 unless other arrangements have been made with CIT International.

Timeline and Terms

The selected CIT International Summit Workshop Speaker must abide by the following provisions:

• Presenters are required to attend one speaker orientation
• Presenters are required to register for the CIT Summit no later than July 17, 2026 (unless prior arrangement made with CIT International).   Presenters selected through this proposal will be given a discounted Summit rate as a presenter.  Presenters will not be compensated in any other manner.
• Presenters are required to bring their own PPT on a USB. CITI will not preload presentations. (Make sure to follow PPT presentation guidelines and tips – see above)
• Presenters must bring copies of any handouts. CITI will not have the ability to print handouts for any presentation.
• Presenters are prohibited from using copyrighted or trademarked material(s).
• Marketing and sales to attendees may only be conducted in the Vendor Exhibition area if the Summit Speaker has also contracted to procure a booth. Summit presentations must not be used as a platform to promote and sell products or services including books, fee-based training materials and/or curricula, or software. If you are interested in procuring a Vendor’s Booth, contact conference@citinternational.org.

By submitting a proposal, you agree to abide by the above timeline and terms.

Submit Presentation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I have to be a member of CIT International to submit a proposal?

No. We accept presentation proposals from members and nonmembers.

Can vendors propose a presentation?

Yes, by following the same procedures as described above. If an organization or entity wants to be a vendor, please contact Conference@CITInternational.org

Do you cover expenses for workshop presenters?

No. Presenters are responsible for their own transportation and accommodations and must register for the Summit. The registration fee for workshop presenters is at a discounted rate of $525.00 (CAD).

Do you require handouts for presentations?

No.  However, handouts are a great way to engage the audience and are appreciated by the attendees.  If handouts are used, presenters must provide their own handouts at the time of their presentation. CIT International will not make copies for handouts.

Do you require a copy of PowerPoint presentations?

No.  However presenters are required to bring their own PPT on a USB.  CITI will not preload presentations. (Make sure to follow PPT presentation guidelines and tips – see above)

When will I know if I have been selected?

Everyone who submits a proposal will be contacted by June 19, 2026.

Who can I contact with further questions regarding workshop proposals or the Summit in general?

Workshop proposals and submissions questions:  email conference@citinternational.orgGeneral Summit information, visit our website at https://citcanada26.vfairs.com or email conference@citinternational.org

Deadline for submission of a presentation is May 8, 2026.  This date will NOT be extended!!!!