In June of 1999, the Northern Illinois Crisis Negotiators Association (NICNA) was formed to provide education, interaction and networking between Illinois crisis negotiators. An executive board consisting of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Illinois State Police, Illinois City, and County Departments was formed and committed to bring members the best training, education and resources available. The NICNA Board Members worked closely together and in October of 1999 the first annual NICNA Conference was held at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL. Speakers were brought in from across the United States and over 120 negotiators from various agencies throughout Illinois attended.
In March of 2000, several members of the NICNA participated in a one day, scenario based, practical training exercise held in a school in Wheeling, Illinois and proved to be an excellent training experience to all who attended. Due to the immediate success of the annual conference, the Executive Board, along with the Board of Directors made a decision to drop the title Northern Illinois Crisis Negotiators Association and broaden it to encompass the entire state, thus creating the ILLINOIS CRISIS NEGOTIATORS ASSOCIATION (ICNA) of today.
In September of 2000, the second annual ICNA Conference was held at the Rock Creek Conference Center in Rockford, IL. The second annual conference grew to 150 attendees from agencies around the state including officers and staff from the Illinois Department of Corrections. The following year saw an even more drastic increase in attendance when the conference was held in the more central location of Peoria, IL. After alternating between Rockford and Peoria every other year, the decision was made in 2006 to designate Peoria, IL as the primary conference location. The Hotel Pere Marquette in Peoria plays host to approximately 200 members each year and continues to grow in attendance as well as functions and activities for everyone to enjoy after a long day.
The association is now more than 250 members strong and serves members of the mental health, criminal justice and correctional professions. The men and women who make up the membership are dedicated to crisis intervention in a variety of situations which require a highly skilled negotiator to bring about a positive resolution. Keeping current with the skills necessary to effectively deal with these types of situations is paramount. The ICNA believes that regular training in this area is necessary to stay up to date on changes in the laws, ideologies, practices and techniques.
The ICNA continues to host a yearly training conference for its members throughout
the state. By joining, you will be placed in our data base enabling you to receive
notification of any training put on by the ICNA as well as other benefits relevant
to our profession