Paul Hartinger has over thirty-nine years in law enforcement. He retired as Chief of Police in 2018. Paul has been involved in training law enforcement topics from basic academy to advanced programs since 2004, including police leadership and supervision, crisis intervention, CIT and de-escalation skills. Paul is a certified CIT Coordinator. He led the Public Safety Services programs at Great Oaks Career Campuses and the OPOTA Regional Training Provider site for SW Ohio. Paul is certified by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) to teach a variety of topics in the Basic Academy and advanced LE topics. Paul has helped produce, coordinate and promote relevant training programs for regional organizations to improve police officer skills, safety, resiliency, communication and interaction, with a concentration on crisis intervention and de-escalation skills. Paul is a member of local mental health steering committees and is an advocate for coordinating appropriate law enforcement and mental health response. Paul’s education includes Associate Degrees in Business Management and Loss Prevention Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He is a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership College (Ohio) and the FBI National Academy.

As the Crisis and Veteran Services Administrator for Mercy Care, Tenasha oversees a system that covers more than 4 million people and includes a central hotline; crisis mobile teams; urgent psychiatric centers; and respite, detox and transition facilities. An Army veteran, she works closely with local law enforcement, the Veterans Administration, hospitals, fire departments and community crisis providers to enhance ongoing collaboration and explore new opportunities to improve the system and member outcomes. Additionally, Tenasha partners with community organizations and first responders to provide training and education such as Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for law enforcement.

Tenasha has worked in Arizona’s behavioral health community for more than 21 years in a variety of roles, including supervisor of three adult outpatient clinics, site administrator, case manager, clinical coordinator, and as a detention officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. In her current role, she works closely with child and adult populations.

Tenasha received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with a minor in Justice Studies, from Arizona State University and in 2019 earned her master's in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix."

Paula Krasselt is Mercy Care’s single point of contact with Arizona’s justice system, working as interagency liaison for an array of criminal justice partners. She is responsible for justice system reach-in initiatives. Prior to joining Mercy Care, Paula served as a counselor and clinical supervisor for Maricopa County Adult Probation, working to improve outcomes for adult probationers as a champion of evidence-based practice. She has experience overseeing clinics, clinical staff, and all aspects of programming. Paula earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Master of Arts in Counseling from Webster University, and a PhD in Behavioral Health from Arizona State University.

Detective Reyes joined the LAPD in 2001 and worked a variety of assignments as a police officer, including five years at the Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU), Crisis Response Support Section, where she found her passion. While working at MEU, she completed her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Criminal Justice. In 2014, she promoted to the rank of Detective and investigated sensitive/high profile cases in Hollywood Area, the Abused Child Unit, Threat Management Unit, and Internal Affairs. In 2019, Detective Reyes returned to the MEU as a Supervisor, where she is currently the Officer-in-Charge of the MEU Training Unit. Detective Reyes oversees the design, development, and delivery of the Department’s training curricula regarding law enforcement’s response to persons who have a mental illness, including the internationally-recognized Mental Health Intervention Training (MHIT). She reviews and updates the Department’s policies and procedures involving interactions with persons who have a mental illness and represents the Department on litigation in this area. Since 2014, she has been an active member of the Department’s Peer Support Program and uses her platform at MHIT to encourage officers to recognize the importance of self-care and wellness, sharing her personal experiences to reduce the stigma.

Dr. Jenna Mehnert is the Bureau Director for Policy, Planning and Program Development for the mental health authority in PA. She holds an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in public administration from West Chester University. Jenna previously held appointed public safety oversight positions for the Mayors in NYC and DC. Additionally, as the CEO of NAMI Maine, she built a statewide certified CIT program.

Annie Strite serves as the Mental Health Administrator for Cumberland and Perry Counties in central PA. In this capacty, she oversees the delivery of all crisis services for both counties. Annie has led efforts in her county to implement CIT with fidelity to the best practice model. She works closely with public safety professionals to ensure meaningful coordination between mental health and justice responses. Annie has held various leadership roles in the MH Administrators state association. She holds a master's in organizational leadership.

Tina directs the mental health and ID service delivery for three rural counties in Northeastern PA. She is a strong advocate for inclusive approaches that embrace proven approaches. A strong supporter of CIT, she is working to build a sustainable CIT program that can engage the local departments in three counties. She has held various leadership roles with the PA Mental Health Administrators state entity. Tina holds a Masters in Mental Health Counseling

Meghan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Grand Valley State University and a Master's Degree from the University of Michigan in Clinical Health Psychology. She is a trained mental health and substance abuse therapist and has been practicing for over 10 years. Her current position is Program Manager at Wayne State University’s School of Social Work. Meghan worked for 12 years in a Community Health system as a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator and supervised jail services and psychiatric urgent care services. She was a previous board member at CIT International and is a current board member of Oaklawn Hospital.

Melinda Holliday, LMSW, LISW-S, CAADC is a clinical social worker who provides crisis training and private practice therapy. Melinda holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Albion College as well as a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University. She has been working in the behavioral health field for 15 years working in a variety of settings including community mental health, inpatient psychiatric care, and community crisis with police. Melinda’s expertise includes crisis intervention, clinical leadership, CIT program development, clinical social work, and social work supervision. She has had the opportunity to present on Calhoun County’s CIT program at a variety of conferences including CITI, CIT-MI, and NASW-MI. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field, she was awarded the Michigan CIT clinician of the year in 2019.

Trained as a mental health services researcher, Amy Watson, PhD has focused on people with serious mental illnesses that come in contact with the criminal legal system and interventions to prevent and reduce criminal legal involvement. She has conducted extensive research on police encounters with persons with mental illnesses and the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. She has also examined mental health courts and prison reentry programs. Her current work is looking at models to reduce or eliminate the role of law enforcement in mental health crisis response. Earlier in her research career, she was the project director of a NIMH Center focused on mental illness stigma, and stigma reduction remains an important theme in her work. Other professional activities include serving on the CIT International Board of Directors from 2016-2021, (as President of the Board 2020-2021) and on the compliance team for the Department of Justice Settlement Agreement with the City of Portland, Oregon. She has a BA in Criminal Justice from Aurora University and an AM and PhD from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

Michele Saunders is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years of community mental health service. She recently retired from the Department of Veteran Affairs providing mental health services to veterans and their families. Ms. Saunders is one of the founding members of CIT International, Inc. in 2008 and was the 1st Vice President for CIT International, Inc for 10 years. In this role she helped to provide strategic direction for the organization in advancing its mission, provided technical assistance to CIT communities around the nation, and coordinated the annual conference. Ms. Saunders continues her work with CIT International as a part time employee. She coordinates the annual CIT International Conference and provides technical assistance on CIT program development, Train the Trainer training and program sustainability. Ms. Saunders also is currently a consultant with Policy Research Associates conducting Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Mapping, CIT Program development, and working with the SAMHSA’s Service Member, Veterans and their Families TA Center providing strategic planning facilitation around suicide prevention. Ms. Saunders holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from James Madison University in Virginia, and a Master of Social Work degree from Florida State University.

Michael Hatch is a Senior Program Manager with the National Policing Institute, where he works on the development and delivery of evidence-based training and technical assistance across several projects. Mike works collaboratively with NPI’s researchers to ensure evidence-based practices are infused into all TTA provided to the field. Before joining NPI, Mike served as a Senior Project Associate with Policy Research Associates, where he led several criminal justice and SAMHSA GAINS projects in behavioral health crisis response. Mike provided training, technical assistance, and strategic planning facilitation to communities nationwide. He is a national train-the-trainer in How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice Responses and a National Sequential Intercept Mapping Facilitator. Prior to PRA, Mike was a CIT Coordinator and Director of Crisis Services for the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier in Broome County, NY. Mike facilitated the development of a 911 Diversion Risk Assessment tool for dispatchers that has been published as a promising practice by SAMHSA, The National Associations of State Mental Health Program Directors, and CIT International. Mike has guided 911 diversion in several communities and presented at numerous conferences on this topic. Mike is a retired Lieutenant from the Johnson City Police in NY.

Kelly Burke is a Senior Program Manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) where she leads a portfolio of training and technical assistance programs for police and their multidisciplary partners to: improve interactions between police and individuals with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and intellectual or developmental disabilities; help local, state, and tribal jurisdictions implement deflection programs to address substance use; increase officer and community safety through next-generation crisis response and intervention training (CRIT), and incorporate community-based crime reduction and community violence intervention models. Kelly earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) as a Fellow with the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she focused on violence and the intersection of policing and public health. Prior to IACP, Kelly spent three years in London, England as the Head of Partnerships at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center, part of the Serious Organised Crime Agency. As a key member of the senior management team, she was instrumental in starting up the UK’s first national policing agency to combat child exploitation, based on a child-centric, collaborative approach to protecting children. Kelly started her career at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children where she spent eight years supporting law enforcement at the local, state, national, and international levels in missing and sexually-exploited children's cases. She earned a BA in International Affairs focused on East European and Russian Studies at the George Washington University.

Officer Nigel Payne is a 13-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department. He currently serves as the Crisis Intervention Coordinator at the Memphis Police Department Training Academy. Officer Payne is a Field Training Officer, Crisis Intervention Officer, Peer Counselor, Crisis negotiator, and Union Representative at his workstation. Officer Nigel Payne plans to further his career with the Memphis Police Department by becoming a motivational speaker. He is proficient in less-than-lethal weaponry, such as the SL6 and Taser.

Officer Nigel Payne enjoys working in the community and has completed several hours of community service by working with juveniles at JIFF (Juvenile Intervention Faith Follow-up), the local juvenile center.

He is a graduate of The University of Memphis, with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology. He is a recent graduate of Bethel University, where he obtained a master’s degree in criminal justice. Officer Payne is married and has two children. He is a proud member and Sgt at Arms of Phi Beta Sigma, Fraternity Incorporated, Memphis Chapter.

2nd Lt. Walker, (recently promoted) has served 15 years in the Memphis Police Department. He currently serves as a police supervisor at Raines Station in the uniform patrol division. When he was in patrol he was Field Training Officer and Crisis Intervention Officer. He worked at the Memphis Police Department Training Academy as an instructor, leading several basic recruit classes, and also as a CIT Coordinator as the Informational Technology Specialist.

He was instrumental in creating a digital CIT Stat Sheet. The idea proved to be cost-effective and informative.

2nd Lt. Walker is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree from Bethel University in Criminal Justice and continues to assist in Crisis Intervention."

Officer Seth Blaine began his law enforcement career in 2017. Officer Blaine is passionate about working with those experiencing homelessness, and requested to work the downtown beat which features most of Knoxville's unhoused population. Officer Blaine is a Field Training Officer, CIT Instructor, and a member of the KPD Honor Guard. Officer Blaine is a Graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Candace Allen, Clinical Vice President, has a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling and has worked for the Helen Ross McNabb Center for over 30 years. A priority under her division is the Center’s Criminal Justice Programming. Ms. Allen has been instrumental in the development of partnerships with the Knoxville Police Department, University of Tennessee Police Department, and the Knox County Sherriff’s Department for several years which has resulted in securing funding and grants that serve those with behavioral health issues. The Center has also expanded services to twelve counties in East Tennessee including Criminal Justice Liaisons, Criminal Justice Case Management, and Recovery Oriented compliance Strategy Courts. In the past several years, direct law enforcement services including employment evaluations and critical debriefings and follow-up counseling have also been provided. Recently, the development of an innovative Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center which serves as a jail diversion program at Intercept 0 is under her leadership. In 2020, the McNabb Center and the Knoxville Police Department started a Co-Response Program which has now developed into four units. Ms. Allen also serves as the Knoxville/Knox County/UT Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Coordinator and is a member of the TN CIT State Task Force.

Elaine Blanton is currently the Services Coordinator for the Criminal Justice Division at the McNabb Center. She provides administrative oversight and clinical supervision for the Criminal Justice Mental Health Liaison Program, Tennessee Recovery Oriented Compliance Strategy Program, Forensic evaluations, Knoxville Co-Response Team, TDOC Peer Project and therapy for United States Probation. Elaine received her graduate degree in social work from the University of Tennessee in 2010. Elaine has experience working in several social work areas including, pre-school aged trauma victims, adolescents with co-occurring disorders, and adults with mental health, substance use and co-occurring disorders in the criminal justice system. Elaine has been with the McNabb Center for seventeen years. In addition to her duties, she serves on the Knoxville/Knox County/University of Tennessee CIT Board, is a trainer for CIT, and works closely with law enforcement in five jurisdictions to provide mental health training and education.

Officer Matt Lawson began his career at KPD in 2008 after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in History and minor in Economics. Officer Lawson is a staple of mental health awareness in Knoxville and is a sought after resource in the community for both officers and consumers in mental health crisis. Officer Lawson is a Crisis Negotiator, Co-Responder Officer, CIT Instructor, Driving Instructor, and a member of the Search and Rescue Team

Allison Farrell, MPH, LISW-CP, CPM is the Director of Wellness and Resiliency at the Richland County Sheriff's Department (RCSD) under the direction of Sheriff Leon Lott. Prior to working with the sheriff's department Allison held several positions with the SC Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) including that of SCDMH's Law Enforcement Liaison, and Director of the Office of Emergency Services where she provided oversight to the provision of mobile crisis services in 46 counties, partnered with local law enforcement agencies to build Crisis Intervention Teams and supervised the Office of Suicide Prevention. Allison is the handler for "CJ", RCSD's Crisis Intervention K-9.

Maria Yturria is deputy chief of Richland County Sheriff's Department's Professional Development Division. Born in Mexico and raised in Los Angeles, Yturria joined the department in 2003 after serving more than seven years in the U.S. Army. After rising through the ranks, she is now the highest-ranking Hispanic individual in the history of the department. Yturria holds several certifications, including Hostage/Crisis Negotiator, Statewide Peer Support Team Leader and is a board member for the AUSA SC Palmetto Chapter. She is bilingual and oversees the Spanish translation program for at the department. Yturria has received numerous awards throughout her career and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the S.C. Law Enforcement Commanders School, the S.C. Victim Assistance Academy, and the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy.

Cassie oversees Contact Center Operations and Clinical Services in Arizona and Oklahoma to include crisis, mobile crisis dispatch, peer support, follow up services and law enforcement collaboration. She works collaboratively with departments to improve efficiencies and ensure the contact center is meeting accreditation and licensure standards. Cassie provides oversight of data analysis and report development in collaboration with the business intelligence and quality teams. She previously served as both Compliance and Privacy Officer for Solari and has been certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC) through the Health Care Compliance Association since 2018. She is a Licensed Associate Counselor since 2022. Cassie has worked in the behavioral health field in various capacities including case management, intake assessment, counseling services, and quality and compliance over the last 21 years. Cassie earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona and her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a forensic specialty from Walden University.

Jess Howard is the Director of Contact Center Operations and Clinical Services at Solari. She currently oversees over 100 dedicated crisis staff at the largest non-profit contact center in the nation, serving to ensure the implementation and maintenance of effective performance metrics and overall clinical care. Jess closely interfaces with information technology and contact center systems management, focusing on detail and accuracy in program indicators. She takes a collaborative approach when strategizing team success and has 4 years of crisis leadership experience. Jess carries her previous work in intensive outpatient programs, victims of crime, and PD Diversion with her at Solari. Jess is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the State of Arizona and earned both her Bachelor and Master of Social Work from Northern Arizona University.

Rob is a Tempe Police Sergeant who brings over ten years’ experience working to improve public safety and the quality of life in the community, by effective integration and utilization of the Public Behavioral Health System. As Co-Coordinator for the Phoenix-Metro CIT Program, he has direct experience in training as well as extensive experience working directly with individuals in crisis, homeless individuals and the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA). Rob works closely with Community Behavioral Health, Law Enforcement and various community stakeholders, by developing and helping to connect silos of care and services. Rob also serves as the President of the Tempe Officers Association (TOA), has served on several behavioral-health related community boards and helped design and implement the Full‐Time Homeless Outreach Police Officer Position.

Nick was a police officer for twenty years and served as the Phoenix Police Department's CIT Coordinator. He has served on numerous Boards and is also the President of Crisis System Solutions, Inc. He has worked diligently on improving public safety and the quality of life in communities by the effective integration and utilization of the Public Health System. Utilizing a ""System Engineer"" perspective, he has extensive experience in the area of Crisis Services, Homelessness, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs, Veteran Issues and Suicide Prevention. He has worked closely with Community Behavioral Health, Law-Enforcement and various community stakeholders to develop and help connect silos of care and services, which have improved quality of care, efficiency and fiscal accountability.

He has trained 2000+ officers and behavioral-health practitioner, is author of ""The Five-Legged Stool: A Model for CIT Program Success"" published in IACP's The Police Chief Magazine and ""No Wrong-Door-The Integration of Law-Enforcement and Crisis Stabilization"" National Council Magazine, 2016 Issue 1, and has been selected for numerous national presentations on improving public safety, via collaboration with public behavioral health.

Jared D. Hager is a Trial Attorney in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section. His work centers on investigating local law enforcement agencies for patterns or practices of misconduct and enforcing consent decrees that remedy systemic police misconduct. Mr. Hager has represented the United States in several cases and investigations, including the Portland Police Bureau, Albuquerque Police Department, the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Minneapolis Police Department. He received his B.A. from Lewis & Clark College, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Linda Foley serves as the CIT Coordinator for the State of Mississippi. She is working towards operationalization of CIT across the entire state with fidelity to the Memphis Model. She previously served as Regional CIT Coordinator for southern Mississippi, implementing CIT in 12 counties. She was honored as the 2019 CITI Coordinator of the Year. Ms. Foley also has worked to bring funding to CIT and other programs serving individuals living behavioral health conditions by securing approximately $100 million in grant funding across the state.

Marcus Crowley has a Master of Social Work from Jackson State University in 2023. His past professional work experiences include Hinds County Adolescent Opportunity Program, Region 9/Hinds Behavioral Health Services – (Certified Community Support Specialist, Mobile Crisis Intervention Team, and Alcohol and Drug Prevention Specialist). He is currently employed with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (MDMH), serving in the Branch of Coordinated Care. He also serves the state of Mississippi by assisting as a Train the Trainer for C.I.T., a board member for MDMH Diversity, Cultural Competency, Equity, and Inclusion state planning, and Specialized Planning and Options to Transition for Mississippi (SPOTT).

Sitaniel Wimbley received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and went on to obtain her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix in 2006. Wimbley currently serves as Division Director for the Division of Peer Recovery and Support at the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. Her division coordinates peer support services at Mississippi DMH Certified Providers and MS DMH-operated programs. The purpose of peer support services is to encourage individuals to become and stay engaged in the recovery process and to reduce the likelihood of relapse.

Prior to the Department of Mental Health, Wimbley served as the Executive Director of NAMI Mississippi. There she acquired extensive knowledge in non-profit leadership. Wimbley has also spent years in the banking industry, but she knew that was not her intended calling.

Today, she continues to help to promote mental wellness and substance use recovery all over the state of Mississippi. Mrs. Wimbley specializes in helping individuals living with a mental illness and substance use disorders to overcome the stigma. Mrs. Wimbley is devoted to applying her skills, experience, and knowledge to help Mississippi continue to grow.

Sgt. Sabrina Redmon is currently a State Coordinator for Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety for the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. Sabrina has been in law enforcement for 26 years with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, Gulfport MS. Throughout her law enforcement career, she has held various titles including crisis intervention officer and instructor, mounted unit instructor, academy instructor, negotiator, DUI officer, ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) instructor, and LEAPS (Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support) member, and dispatcher. Sabrina enjoys teaching Crisis Intervention and Mental Health First Aid because of how important it is to help law enforcement create more productive interactions with those impacted by a Mental Illness. Sabrina is a 2001 graduate of University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice. When she is not working, Sabrina enjoys spending time with her son Braden.

Michael Wells began his law enforcement career in 1993 at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, later joining the University of Virginia Police Department in 1994. Since 2003, he's been a Detective at the Albemarle County Police Department, also serving as Assistant Team Leader of the Crisis Negotiations Team. Throughout his tenure, he's undergone specialized training including SWAT, Hostage Negotiations, and Motorcycle Policing. Michael is deeply involved in crisis intervention, serving as a lead instructor for the Thomas Jefferson Area CIT and as a CIT Consultant nationwide since 2008. His contributions have earned him accolades such as CIT Officer of the Year in 2010 and the 2018 Virginia CIT Trainer of the Year Award. With a son diagnosed with Autism, Michael advocates for enhanced police preparedness in handling such encounters

Grace Grinnell is a Recovery Support Specialist and Instructor for the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement's Crisis Intervention Team training for police and first responders. She currently is the Vice President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Farmington Valley Affiliate and has served on the board for the past nine years. Grace has provided mental health and suicide prevention presentations to middle and high school students and faculty since 2016 and sits on the State of Connecticut Children Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board Lived Experience Committee.

Valerie Lepoutre is the Director of Peer Initiatives, Education & Training at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Connecticut. Val is a certified Recovery Support Specialist who brings her lived expertise into her professional role by supporting, advocating for, and educating others about mental health, trauma, and suicide. In addition to her statewide efforts as co-chair for the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board’s Lived Experience committee, she also partners with leaders across the Nation to develop life-changing programs and enhancement training that re-defines our system of care; Val believes every person can live a life with purpose when we create opportunities to build community, find hope, and heal.

Steve MacHattie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice. He started Charter Oak Family Center in 1999. Charter Oak Family Center is a place for kids 5 to 105. At Charter Oak Family Center people can work on struggles with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and urges to suicide. Steve has survived his own struggles with suicide and is the co-chair of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board’s Lived Experience Committee. Steve recently was certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy and is a Registered Play Therapist. Steve is a big believer in the benefits of mindfulness and teaches all of his clients mindfulness skills.

Dr. Amber Vernon is a licensed clinical psychologist and forensic evaluator in Richmond, Virginia. For over a decade she has worked closely with Richmond Police Department as a CIT and recruit instructor, as an evaluator for pre-employment and return-to-duty, and as a responder to OIS and critical incidents. She holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University (Oregon) as well as a master’s degree in Women’s Studies through The George Washington University (DC).

A Licensed Professional Counselor, Kelly has spent his career in the Virginia community mental health system specializing in crisis intervention services, with a particular emphasis on the interaction between the mental health and criminal justice service systems. For the past 14 years he has been the CIT training coordinator for Richmond, Virginia law enforcement and first responders. In that capacity, he has provided numerous trainings for law enforcement agencies throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Kelly has been active in regional and state level planning, legislative initiatives and a board member of the Virginia CIT Coalition. He has previously presented at CIT International on conducting effective role-plays as a component of CIT training.

A fifteen-year veteran of the Richmond Police Department in Richmond Virginia, Sgt. Marlowe has spent 14 years with RPD’s CIT program providing effective instruction with every 40-hour training, numerous Train- the-Trainer classes and dispatcher trainings. In February 2019, Sgt. Marlowe became the CIT Coordinator for RPD where she specializes in Officer Wellness and mentorship of the CIT training cadre. Sgt. Marlowe has been an active participant with Central Virginia CIT and the Virginia CIT Coalition. She recently assisted with providing valuable feedback in the preparation of Uniform Lesson Plans for 40-hour CIT Training across the state. Sgt. Marlowe has also served as a member of the Peer Support/CISM team for RPD since 2013. Prior to service with RPD, she worked as a dispatcher and as an EMT in Pennsylvania.

Captain Tony Lockhart is with the King County Sheriff’s Office (in Washington State) and worked as the regional/statewide Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator for the King County Mental Illness Drug Dependency Program. He is the former sergeant for the King County Sheriff’s Office Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team and has a bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University. Currently he is the training unit captain for the Sheriff’s Office.

Tony is a certified Force Science Analyst and has attended the Force Science Realistic De-escalation course. He was a Certified Crisis Intervention Specialist II and attended the 40-hour FBI Hostage Negotiation School. He has also facilitated over 2000 hours of Crisis Intervention Team training for law enforcement and oversight groups. He is a trauma informed care, patrol tactics, active shooter response and use of force instructor.

He assists in reviewing serious use of force events on Critical Incident Review Boards. Tony also is called on as an expert witness by the region for serious use of force incidents when it relates to a crisis call. Tony has presented for organizations such as CIT International, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Co-Responder Conference and CIT Texas Association to name a few."

Habsi Kaba is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 30 years of experience in the field of mental health, recovery, and rehabilitation. She leads the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program in Miami-Dade County, and is a passionate educator, mental health professional, and advocate. Habsi is CIT International’s 2nd Vice-President, Florida CIT Coalition Co-Chair, with 20 years of experience as a certified master instructor in law enforcement CIT training, de-escalating, with over 15,000 first responders, criminal justice stakeholders, educators, elementary to university students, medical, and social service professionals trained throughout the U.S., Canada, and Spain. Habsi is internationally recognized as an expert in CIT program implementation, crisis response models, curriculum design, first responder wellness, and communication/de-escalation techniques. Habsi has two decades of experience in the inner workings of police patrol operations, and the behavioral health/criminal justice system. She is known for her vast network, and expertise in facilitating comprehensive, law enforcement agency-wide approaches and partnerships and with the behavioral health system, and development of national best practices, and systems transformation. Habsi serves as a consultant for the private sector, non-profit and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security U.S. ICE Hostage Negotiation Team.

Scott Woods is a Sergeant with the Hamilton Police Crisis Response Branch. Scott specializes in mental health and is the coordinator and facilitator of the CIT programming in Hamilton. Presently Scott is the Sergeant in charge of the RIST team that partners social workers with police. Additionally, Scott oversees all mental health programming with community agencies in Hamilton.

Pete Wiesner is the Supervising Sergeant of the Crisis Response Branch with The Hamilton Police Service. Pete started his career in 1997 as a Correctional Officer and started policing in 2001. In his time in policing Pete has worked in Patrol, Vice and Drugs, seconded to the RCMP for an international drug project, ACTION, Social Navigator and now supervises the units of COAST, MCRRT, SNP. In 2021 Pete and his team were responsible for the inception of the Rapid Intervention and Support Team (RIST) and a successful applicant for a solicitor general grant worth 8.3M which will see police pay for the salaries of 7 key Intensive Case Workers, proficient in the field of homeless, addiction and mental health who collaborate and work together daily to respond to those most acute and marginalized.

Kassandra Roul is the Coordinator of the Social Navigator Program and Rapid Intervention and Support Team with the Hamilton Police Service. She holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Sciences and Psychology and Neuroscience with a focus on social determinants of health and social psychology. Prior to joining the Social Navigator Program and Rapid Intervention and Support Team, she held positions in forensic residential reintegration, rapid access healthcare clinics, and victims services, serving vulnerable and marginalized individuals.

Lisa Gajewicz is the Assistant Coordinator of the Social Navigator Program and Rapid Intervention and Support Team with the Hamilton Police Service. She has been working in the Criminal Justice Field for over 23 years, with a particular interest with those struggling with addictions, mental health barriers and homelessness.

Jenna Mehnert Baker built a CIT program that was awarded platinum certification by CIT International.

Marianne Halbert, JD, is the Programs Manager at CIT International. She was a public defender for 14 years in Indianapolis where she represented clients impacted by serious mental illness who were justice-involved or who were facing involuntary commitment. She was part of a collaborative group that created the first pre-trial mental health diversion program in the United States, Marion County's "PAIR Program", launched in 1996, which she then supervised until 2010. She served on Indianapolis' CIT Steering Committee and training subcommittee for many years. Following that, Marianne was the Criminal Justice Director at NAMI Indiana for 13 years, where she created a statewide CIT technical assistance center, as well as a statewide CIT program which was awarded platinum certification by CIT International. Marianne served on the board of the Indiana Suicide Prevention Network, was on Indiana's 988 Implementation Coalition, is a certified QPR (Question-Persuade-Refer) instructor, is certified by Policy Research Associates (PRA) as a Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) workshop facilitator for Indiana, and is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

Ret. Chief Edward Dobleman isn't one to rest on his laurels. After a distinguished career leading the police department and implementing innovative programs, Ed views his time as Chief with pride. He instilled a vision of "Pride in our Community, Pride in our Department, and Pride in Ourselves," which continues to guide the force. Following retirement, Ed's dedication to public service didn't wane. He lent his expertise as a consultant and assessor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Currently, he serves as the NJ State Crisis Intervention Director, overseeing the CIT-NJ program. Ed's commitment extends beyond his official roles. He participates in various organizations: the International Chiefs of Police Association, the State of NJ Chiefs of Police Association, and the Camden County Chief of Police Association. He champions the Tri-State K-9 Response Team as Vice President and sits on the board of the Camden County Hero Scholarship Foundation, supporting families of fallen first responders. Ed helped develop mental health performance objectives for ATLAS, a company utilizing technology to improve police performance. Ed graduated from West Point’s Command and Leadership and further his qualifications with a Certified Public Manager certification and training as an Executive Director for non-profits.

Cecilia Gonzalez is a social worker serving veterans, particularly those facing homelessness or legal challenges. Driven by a desire to honor her Vietnam Combat Veteran father, Cecilia joined the Wilmington VA Medical Center in 2010. She has become a leader in developing and implementing programs to support veterans in a variety of situations. Her work includes the creation of Veteran Treatment Courts in DE and Veteran Diversion programs in NJ. She's lead initiatives and services for homeless veterans, encompassing housing programs, employment, and outreach while advocating for justice-involved veterans by collaborating with jails, probation, law enforcement, and Veterans Response Teams, fostering collaboration between VA and community-based programs, as well as internal VA departments like Behavioral Health, primary care, and social work services. Cecilia currently serves as the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council at the Wilmington VA Medical Center, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for veterans. Cecilia's qualifications are extensive. She holds a master’s degree in social work, along with certifications in Organizational Management, Management in Developmental Disabilities, Public Administration, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for 22 years, bringing a wealth of experience to her work.

Christopher Southard enlisted in the United States Navy in 1998. Upon selection for a commissioning program, he requested to serve in the United States Marine Corps, following the terror attacks on September 11. From 2004 – 2014 he served as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer, leading Marines and Sailors on multiple deployments to include combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2014, Christopher transferred from active duty to the Marine Corps Reserves to pursue a career in law enforcement. He joined the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey as a Detective where he has been assigned to the Trial, Official Corruption, Drug Related Death, and Major Crimes Units. Christopher currently serves as the County Coordinator for Atlantic County’s Veterans’ Response Team, and the steering committee of the Atlantic County Crisis Intervention Team following his graduation from training in 2022. Christopher has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the United States Naval Academy and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati. He has been married for the past twenty years to the love of his life and they are currently raising five children together in New Jersey.

Paul Woodland currently serves as a regional Chief of Police for the US Dept of Veterans Affairs with a territory covering all of Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as part of New Jersey, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York. Paul has worked for the VA for 15 years. Prior to this position, Paul served as a Chief of Police with the VA in Baltimore, MD Wilmington, DE & Coatesville, PA. Paul has twice been selected as National VA Police Officer of the Year. Paul has a master’s degree in criminal justice from Wilmington University, serves as a member of the IACP Civil Law Enforcement/Military Cooperation Committee, and is a Veteran of the United States Navy.

Rita Jablonski, PhD CRNP FAAN FGSA is a nurse practitioner with expertise in neurocognitive disorders and related behaviors. She is a tenured professor and researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has authored over 100 publications and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health for research that improves the lives of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Sgt. Parker is the Mental Health Coordinator for the Hoover Police Department in Hoover, Alabama. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (#3338) with a background working with addicted clients. He earned his Master's degree in Agency Counseling from Jacksonville State University. He has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Corrections from Jacksonville State University.

Sgt. Parker has special interest and experience in grief and crisis counseling. With a background in law enforcement Sgt. Parker has served as a hostage negotiator for over fifteen years. He also has experience leading professional seminars and therapy groups.

Sgt. Parker is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Alabama Counseling Association, the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society."

Mike Shorter is the Coordinator of Clubhouse Indiana, which is the coalition of Clubhouse Model programs in the Hoosier state. As Coordinator, Mike consults with programs, working groups, and community members to help them better understand the Clubhouse Model of Rehabilitation. For established Clubhouses, Mike assists with helping Clubhouses maintain fidelity to Clubhouse International Standards and prepare for accreditation. Prior to becoming the coalition coordinator last year, Mike worked at Carriage House in Fort Wayne for 15 years, and has been asked to present on the topic of Clubhouse best-practices at state, national, and international seminars.

Introducing Diana Guzman, a beacon of hope in the field of mental health. With a bachelor's degree in psychology from Barry University and a Master's in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University, Diana possesses the knowledge and expertise to guide individuals through the complexities of the human mind. Diana's impressive credentials extend beyond her educational background. She is a certified Master Addiction Professional, Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional, Certified Clinical Trauma Provider, Florida Certification Board Provider, and a Certified QPR trainer. Her passion for crisis prevention and intervention is evident through her role as a certified CPI instructor, where she provides trainings on advanced physical skills, nonviolent crisis intervention, and verbal de-escalation. In addition to her professional achievements, Diana is a captivating speaker who sheds light on mental health issues through her personal story. Her ability to engage and inspire audiences is unparalleled. Diana Guzman is a true advocate for mental health, dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities alike. With her expertise and compassionate approach, she is committed to bringing hope and healing to those in need.

Dr. Kathy Quick, MSW is a suicide attempt survivor who is in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder. She serves as the executive director of PA's statewide peer advocacy entity. Dr. Quick holds both a master's and doctorate degree in social work. She is also a certified recovery specialist and a certified peer specialist who performs trainings for the peer workforce statewide.

Jenna Mehnert Baker operated a statewide CIT program, has lead three nonprofit entities and held four appointed policy positions. Additionally, she serves as faculty at Kutztown University. She is a current member of the CIT International Board of Directors. Dr. Mehnert Baker identifies as a person living with complex PTSD from prolonged victimization as a young child.

Rayna Torres, CIT ECHO Program Coordinator, brings a wealth of experience in community outreach within the non-profit sector. With a passion for fostering connections and facilitating learning, she has dedicated many years to serving various communities and advocating for mental health awareness. Currently positioned within the Division of Community Behavioral Health, she plays a pivotal role in collaborating with the Continuing Education team and assisting the Albuquerque Police Department with the continued success of CIT ECHO.

Ben Melendrez is currently a Detective with the Albuquerque Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Unit. He has been a police officer with APD for twenty years and specializes in effective communication and Crisis Intervention techniques in which he is a trainer for the department. He has been a speaker at several national and international conferences on these topics and was one of the first law enforcement officers to speak at the American Psychiatric Conference.

Kelly is a recently retired Police Captain who served for 35 years as a sworn officer, supervisor and administrator with the Waynesboro Police Department. He has experience in Patrol, Investigations, Crime Prevention, as well was Support Services. In addition, Kelly is a trained Crisis Negotiator who served for 23 years on the department’s Crisis Negotiations Unit as a team member, unit commander and finally as Unit Manager. Kelly has served as the coordinator for Blue Ridge CIT for over 10 years and has been certified by CIT International as a CIT Coordinator. He has been an active DCJS General Instructor for over 30 years and has instructed numerous courses including Juvenile Law, traffic stops, search and seizure and laws of arrest. Kelly also served as a patrol field training officer for 5 years and for several years as a Virginia DARE Instructor being certified to teach elementary, as well middle school and high school DARE. In addition he has been a CIT Instructor since 2009 and a CIT TTT Instructor since 2010. Teaching various CIT blocks including role play and evaluation of student performance in 42 CIT 40 hour trainings. Also he has taught instructor training and role play development in several Train the Trainer classes. He has presented on various topics to numerous community and professional groups as well as to the Virginia CIT Coalition and CIT International Conferences. In addition to his local CIT leadership, Kelly serves on the Virginia CIT Board of Directors.

Larry serves as Training and Development for Valley Community Services Board for the last 18 years where he creates and delivers a vast array of trainings to a wide range of professionals both within the agency as well as schools, private providers, and professional organizations throughout the Shenandoah Valley. Larry is both a Master Instructor and training coordinator for Blue Ridge CIT for over 12 years where he has developed and delivered curricula for almost 50 40-hour trainings, dozens of Train-the-Trainer courses, and assisted in the delivery of programs for several other state teams. Larry serves as the head of the Advanced Emergency Response Team with VCSB responding to behavioral emergencies within the agency. In addition, Larry actively serves as a Chaplain for the Waynesboro Police Department, serving both the officers and citizens during times of crisis.

Kasey Parker was hired in 2006 as the Associate Director of the Mental Health Association of Nebraska (MHA). In July 2016, she was promoted to Executive Director. Kasey has assisted in developing and implementing Nebraska’s first peer-directed and nationally accredited (CARF) programs. MHA is one of the largest peer-run organizations in the Midwest, employing approximately 60 Peer Specialists. MHA programs include: H.O.P.E. Supported Employment, the peer respite Keya House, and the law enforcement referral program. Kasey has worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, the Nebraska Parole Administration, and Nebraska State Probation to develop and implement peer operated re-entry services.

Travis Parker is a Vice President with Policy Research Associates, providing training and technical assistance services that draw on his extensive experience as a provider of behavioral health services in correctional facilities, and on his administrative expertise in behavioral health and managed care organizations. He previously served as the Vice President of System Transformation and Director of Clinical Services for Magellan Behavioral Health. Prior to this appointment, he was the Deputy Director of the Community Mental Health Center of Lancaster County, Nebraska, having also served as the Program Director for the Behavioral Health Jail Diversion Program and the Emergency Services, Homeless, and Special Needs Departments at the CMHCLC. Mr. Parker has completed behavioral health and suicide prevention training with almost 40 sheriffs and municipal police departments in 16 Nebraska counties in the southeastern part of the state, as he served as a Crisis Response Counselor offering Intercept 1 diversion opportunities to those counties/communities until 2023. Mr. Parker has also worked with Minnehaha County, South Dakota to implement their Intercept 0/1 Community Triage Center. He completed his M.S. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas and is licensed as an Independent Mental Health Practitioner and Certified Professional Counselor in Nebraska.

James was born and raised in El Paso, TX. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S Army at the age of 17. He served from 2000 to 2005 where he accomplished every mission and task that was assigned. He served with distinction and meritorious achievement in support of his unit and his fellow soldiers. Shortly after the Army, he served his community as an E.M.T on an ambulance for El Paso county’s E.M.S. Throughout his E.M.S career he became certified as a volunteer fire fighter for the West Valley Fire Department where he specialized in emergency medicine and confined space search and rescue. Using his expertise in emergency medical services, James became an instructor for the Cubic Corporation: Omega Division which was tasked with training soldiers in Combat First Aid, Combat Life Saver and the Combat Medic Mentoring Program. With his service, the Cubic Corporation and Taskforce Outlaw was able to successfully train 75,000 Joint Warfighters on pre-deployment training for both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Throughout his experiences, James recognized that there was a need for mental health professionals with his unique experiences in the community. It was then he decided to attend the University of Texas at El Paso to get his degree in psychology and mental health. After graduating, James found employment with Emergence Health Network as a Crisis Specialist and CIT specialist. James continues to bring his motivation and expertise to EHN and the El Paso Police Department CIT.

Bonnie Eckman is a seasoned professional with a decade of experience in mental health and addiction recovery. With a background in occupational therapy, Bonnie specializes in utilizing sensory modulation techniques for individuals dealing with PTSD, trauma, and self-regulation challenges. Her expertise extends to educational platforms, where she has shared her insights at prestigious conferences such as the Society for Social Work and the Generation Conference. Additionally, Bonnie serves as the UOTA Mental Health Liaison, further showcasing her commitment to advancing mental health advocacy and education. Driven by a passion for helping others, Bonnie has created effective programming and treatment specifically tailored to first responders, recognizing their unique challenges and needs.

Pete Wiesner is the Supervising Sergeant of the Crisis Response Branch with The Hamilton Police Service. Pete started his career in 1997 as a Correctional Officer and started policing in 2001. In his time in policing Pete has worked in Patrol, Vice and Drugs, seconded to the RCMP for an international drug project, ACTION, Social Navigator and now supervises the units of COAST, MCRRT, SNP. In 2021 Pete and his team were responsible for the inception of the Rapid Intervention and Support Team (RIST) and a successful applicant for a solicitor general grant worth 8.3M which will see police pay for the salaries of 7 key Intensive Case Workers, proficient in the field of homeless, addiction and mental health who collaborate and work together daily to respond to those most acute and marginalized.

Shannon Scully is the Director of Justice Policy & Initiatives at NAMI’s national office, where she provides strategic guidance and leadership on the organization’s work at the intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice system. She engages federal agencies and Congress to advance NAMI’s key priorities in the areas of justice reform and crisis response and supports leaders across the NAMI Alliance to advance reforms at the state and local level to reduce justice system impact in the lives of people with mental illness.

Prior to joining NAMI, Ms. Scully has worked on a variety of issues to address the impact of the criminal legal and carceral system in disproportionately impacted communities. She began her career advocating for victims of crime in the court system in Cook County, IL.

Originally from Minnesota, Ms. Scully lives in the greater DC area with her husband and toddler. She holds degrees from the College of St. Benedict and American University.

Samira Schreiber is Manager of State Legislative Analysis at NAMI’s National office, where she contributes to their state affairs initiative. She tracks and analyzes state legislation on NAMI’s priority issues, like 988/crisis response, access to mental health care and youth mental health. She collaborates with our NAMI State Organizations in advancing key state policy issues and conducts legislative and issue research of state mental health policy efforts. Ms. Schreiber creates resources for NAMI State Organizations, policymakers, advocates and other stakeholders.

Prior to joining NAMI, Ms. Schreiber was involved in immigrant and refugee advocacy in Boston. She also was a part-time research assistant, where she focused on the impact of COVID on the mental health of older adults. She has a BSW from Southeastern University and an MSW with a macro-level concentration from Boston University. She is originally from the Sunshine State but now lives in DC.

Annette Amistadi MSW, LISW-S began her social work career working as a case manager in 2015. As a case manager, she was responsible for approximately 60 clients diagnosed with severe mental illness and other co-occurring disorders. In 2021, she was promoted to Manager of Case Management and Community Linkage. In that role, she managed about 30 case managers, clinicians, and certified peer supports in forensic and non-forensic programs. In 2022, she began working in the City of Shaker Heights Mental Health Response Program as a co-responder. Her knowledge of community mental health has transformed the Mental Health Response Program into an alternative police response. Annette has attended CIT Train-the-Trainer course and has developed CIT trainings for her departments. She is currently the Program Coordinator of the Regional Mental Health Response Unit in Shaker Heights.

Annette is a First Lieutenant in the Ohio Army National Guard where she also works as a social worker. She has served for over 16 years and has deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Annette holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Social Work. She is currently a Licensed Independent Social Worker

Commander Daniel Grispino has 22 years of law enforcement experience. In 2006 he was hired by the City of Shaker Heights. In 2015 he was promoted to Sergeant where he served within the Uniform Bureau until he was assigned to Investigations as the Intelligence Unit Sergeant in 2018. In 2019 he was promoted to Lieutenant where he served in both the Uniform Bureau and the Community Services Unit. In 2023 he was promoted to Commander, where he currently oversees the Uniform Bureau and the Regional Mental Health Response Unit.

During his tenure with the Shaker Heights Police Department his assignments have included Patrol, Investigations, Public Records, Policy and Procedures, Traffic Signalization Unit Supervisor, Community Relations Supervisor, Traffic Unit Supervisor, Grant Writer/Coordinator, and Training Unit Coordinator.

Commander Grispino holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Criminology and Sociology in addition to a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. He is a graduate of Northwestern University Police Staff and Command, as well as the Police Executive Leadership College 72nd class. Commander Grispino has also completed coursework recognizing him as a Certified Law Enforcement Executive (CLEE) within the State of Ohio. He is also an Adjunct Instructor with Northwestern University and Tiffin University."

Matthew Moody is an Arizona-based consultant and licensed counselor celebrated for his extensive experience in crisis systems and 911 to 988 diversion programs. With a profound background in suicide prevention, mobile crisis teams, and crisis mental health spanning over 15 years, he served as the director of the largest non-profit crisis contact center in the United States. There, he managed a wide array of crisis and resource lines, including 988 and 211 centers. Matthew is dedicated to fostering collaboration between law enforcement and crisis intervention, investing over 1,400 hours in 911/PSAPS to establish and support 911 diversion programs in major cities like Phoenix, Calgary, Tucson, and Mesa, collectively diverting over 1,500 calls monthly from 911 centers. As the board president of Mental Health America of Arizona, CIT International, and the proud recipient of the 2022 CITI Communications Specialist of the Year award, Matthew remains devoted to advancing alternate response systems and advocating for mental health.

Officer Manning is currently a member of the Spokane Regional Behavioral Health unit as part of the Spokane Police Department. Officer Manning has 16 years law enforcement experience split between Virginia (Arlington County Police Department) and Washington (Spokane Police Department). In addition to his regular duties as part of the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU), Officer Manning is one of the lead trainers for the area's 40 Hour CIT course and also instructs on Mental Health and Communication Skills at the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Officer Manning is a certified Field Training Officer and trains recruit officers on issues involving crisis de-escalation and mental health issues. In his 16 years, Officer Manning has also served as a Hostage Negotiator and has worked as part of a Community Outreach team.

Bree is employed with Frontier Behavioral Health as the Co-Responder Clinician Supervisor for the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU, City Police and County Sheriffs), Community Diversion Unit (CDU, Police), and the Behavioral Response Unit (BRU, Fire) in Spokane County. Bree is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 8 years of Mental Health Experience. Prior to her current position Bree has had multiple roles in the Mental Health Field that she worked simultaneously such as School Based Counselor, Designated Crisis Responder, and a Clinician on a Wrap Around Team for children and adolescents. Bree has worked on the BHU team for 4 and a half years as a Clinician and has served dual roles as an in car Clinician and as the Co-Responder Supervisor for a year and half. Bree assists Officer Manning at the Regional 40 Hour CIT training along with teaching Mental Health and Crisis De-Escalation for the local Law Enforcement Academy. Bree is also a trained Behavioral Health Disaster Responder with Frontier Behavioral Health.

Sergeant Lance Dardeen joined the Indiana Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) in 2009. He graduated with a Public Relations degree from the University of Southern Indiana in 2002 and with a Master's degree in Justice Administration from Faulkner University in 2016. Sergeant Dardeen is the Mobile Crisis Assistance Team (MCAT) Sergeant for the IMPD as well as a Fair and Impartial Policing Instructor, Marion County CIT Coordinator, an ILEA certified instructor, Narcan Administrator for the IMPD, an IMPD Mentor, a Field Training Officer, Mental Health First Aid and QPR licensed instructor, and became an E.M.T in 2014.

Juan Bacigalupi graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2009 with an environmental science degree and from Lewis and Clark Law School in 2014 with a J.D. He is also a Certified Recovery Support Specialist in Illinois, where he served as a recovery support specialist with NAMI Metro Suburban from 2020 to 2022. In 2023 he started working at NAMI National where he serves as a coordinator for NAMI signature education programs.

Bob Hagen is a retired law enforcement professional who transitioned into a fulfilling second career in mental health advocacy. After serving 33 years in law enforcement, culminating in the role of Captain for the City of Delafield Police Department, Bob retired in 2022 and almost immediately joined NAMI Southeast WI.In the current role as Crisis Training Supervisor, Bob oversees CIT, CIP, and other crisis-related training programs for the organization. The journey with NAMI began in 2005 when Bob attended CIT training in Appleton, Wisconsin. This experience introduced Bob to NAMI and led to involvement with NAMI Waukesha, where Bob served on the board of directors for five years, including two years as board president. These roles prepared Bob for an exciting second career after retirement from law enforcement.Since joining NAMI SE WI, Bob has become a QPR instructor and a Share Your Story with Law Enforcement state trainer. Suicide prevention and resilience/self-care are strong passions, and these programs allow Bob to express that passion and hopefully make a difference in the lives of others.

David Roberts has a 30+ year career in law enforcement, starting in the United States Coast Guard where he served more than 20 years and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His work continued as an Oklahoma City Police Officer, where he served for almost 20 years and attained the rank of Master Sergeant.

In 2010, David started David Roberts Consulting, LLC, offering security guard services to businesses, events, and mental health facilities. In 2021, he partnered with the State of Oklahoma to begin OK RIDE CARE, a long-term solution to transporting clients needing psychiatric help to care facilities. OK RIDE CARE is the largest provider of this transportation in the state, addressing stigmas and barriers to care."

Gregory Campbell, PhD, Vice President of Law Enforcement and Government for TalentSmartEQ®. He is the author of Developing You: Unleashing the 11 Transformative Practices of Self-Development and Emotional Intelligence. Gregory is a progressive thought leader in emotional intelligence and leadership who fosters collaboration in consulting, training and facilitation sessions. He is successful with frontline, mid-level, executive, and senior-level executives and managers due to more than 25 years of diversified, full-spectrum senior executive service (SES) experience leading highly complex federal government organizations. Gregory has been consulting, training or facilitating programs since 2005. His expertise is in developing and implementing national leadership development programs and enterprise-wide EQ efforts that involves talent management, course development, succession planning, mentoring, executive coaching, emotional intelligence assessments, and creating inclusive cultures for frontline employees, mid-level managers, executives, and senior executives. His professional experience includes more than 25 years of federal law enforcement with the United States Postal Inspection Service, leading highly complex criminal investigations (domestic and international) from case agent to the executive level. Gregory served as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) for over 13 years before transitioning to the private sector.

Joseph Reid is the Founder and Executive Director of Broken People Peer Support, an international mental health peer support group. He’s the author of the Amazon national best seller Broken Like Me, An Insider’s Toolkit for Mending Broken People. He briefly worked in law enforcement at the Grand Rapids Police Department. His education includes an Associates Degree from Henry Ford Community College (1996), Bachelor's from Liberty University (2017), and Certification from the Flint Regional Police Training Academy (1997). 

Joe has a passion for people who feel broken and volunteers with like-minded organizations: leading multiple multicultural ministries at his local church, working with NAMI as an In Our Own Voice presenter and Peer Connections facilitator for the past four years in addition to running Broken People. 

He enjoys traveling the world with his wife, spending time with his five adult kids, listening to audio books, and drinking chocolate milk.

Dawn is the Wellness Coordinator for the Johnson County Missouri Sheriff’s Office. She is a mental health professional and personal trainer who focuses on the wellness of the staff both at the Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement within Johnson County. She has worked with law enforcement in 3 counties and across the state for almost 9 years prior to coming to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. She helped to further the CIT Program in her area and has been the Chair of the First Responder Provider Network since the introduction to the Missouri Strategic Plan.

In her off time, she is a bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast. She loves football and hockey along with spending time with her granddaughters."

Sergeant Lance Dardeen joined the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) in 2009. He graduated with a Public Relations degree from the University of Southern Indiana in 2002 and with a Master's degree in Justice Administration from Faulkner University in 2016.

Sergeant Dardeen is the Mobile Crisis Assistance Team (MCAT) Sergeant for the IMPD as well as a Fair and Impartial Policing Instructor, Marion County CIT Coordinator, an ILEA certified instructor, Narcan Administrator for the IMPD, an IMPD Mentor, a Field Training Officer, Mental Health First Aid and QPR licensed instructor, and became an E.M.T in 2014."

Len Rothermich is a Special Agent with the Indianapolis Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is currently assigned to the FBI's Indianapolis Violent Crimes Task Force. He has been in this position since 2014. SA Rothermich's primary responsibilities allow him to work directly with his local counterparts on a daily basis. These assignments include violations of federal robbery statutes, fugitives, kidnappings, carjackings, and firearm offenses.

Prior to SA Rothermich's appointment with the FBI, he was a Captain in the United States Army. He served five years on active duty in the Military Police Corps, where he was assigned to serve in various roles at Schofield Barracks, HI and Fort Leonard Wood, MO. In 2009, he deployed as a platoon leader for 12 months to the Maysan Province of Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11.

SA Rothermich is a graduate of Truman State University with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and an emphasis in Military Science."

Laura Barrett, LCSW, LCAC

Laura Barrett is the Director of Behavioral Health at Adult and Child Health, bringing over 25 years of extensive experience to her role. With a deep passion for caring for individuals in crisis, Laura has dedicated her career to providing compassionate support and intervention.

Throughout her career, Laura has honed her skills in assessing clients in crisis, particularly in high-pressure emergency room settings. Recognizing the need for specialized care, she spearheaded the establishment of the Mobile Crisis Team at Adult and Child Health, revolutionizing crisis intervention in the community.

Laura's commitment to collaboration is evident in her work with Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), fostering partnerships to ensure comprehensive care for those in need. Her leadership and expertise continue to drive innovation in behavioral health, making a profound impact on individuals and communities alike."

Michelle Nunemaker has dedicated her professional career to working with children, youth and families since graduating from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2004. Michelle spent the majority of her career partnering with families to establish safe and stable homes. Through this work, Michelle recognized the importance of children, youth and families having access to behavioral health services that are evidence based and support family wellbeing. In 2021, Michelle was designated as the State Planner for the implementation of 988 in Nebraska. Michelle recognizes that there is no health without behavioral health, and is passionate about ensuring access to behavioral health services for all children, youth and families in Nebraska with a focus on preventing future system involvement.

Kyle Kinney, LMHP is the program manager of the 988 NE Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the Nebraska Family Helpline. During his 20-year career serving Nebraska, Kyle has provided support to children in the juvenile justice system, the child welfare and foster care system, at-risk students, as well as the children and families who remain outside “the system.” Kyle completed his undergraduate work in Psychology at Grace University and his graduate work at Bellevue University, earning an M.S. in Human Services – Mental Health Counseling. As a father of four girls, Kyle keeps busy with athletic events and the occasional musical performance but still finds time for plenty of coffee and a good book.

Jessica Loos is the 911 Communications Coordinator at the Lincoln (NE) Emergency Communications Center (LECC), having returned home to where she started her public safety telecommunications career over a decade ago. Having served in nearly every role, from a Public Safety Dispatcher to her current role, she has established herself as a public safety leader who inspires and encourages every person to be their best! Jessica is proud to serve the membership of APCO International as a North Central Region Representative on the Board of Directors and is committed to furthering APCO International’s mission. In her home state, she is a Nebraska Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) member, a Nebraska Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team member, and sits on Nebraska’s Service System Advisory Committee, making recommendations to the Public Service Commission on matters concerning the implementation, coordination, operation, management, maintenance, and funding of the 911 Service System. Finally, she recently accepted an opportunity to serve on the Standard for the Establishment of a QA/QI Program for ECCs joint working group for APCO and NENA to assist peers in writing an America National Standard (ANS) for the public safety industry.

Born in San Juan PR and raised in South Beach, I grew up without a father and a mother who was in and out of my life, who experienced much trauma and pain. I never got the opportunity to meet my brother who passed away from AIDS, and was homeless, my oldest sister’s life was taken in her early 20’s. As a young teen growing up in Miami Beach, I ended up homeless, sleeping in parks, beaches, bus stops, anywhere I could find shelter from the heat and rain. I began using, drinking, and running the streets of Miami Beach, committing low level misdemeanor crimes, fighting, and not caring whether I lived or died. I was filled with so much pain, loneliness, rage, and often suicidal. I found myself in and out of Miami-Dade County Juvenile Detention Center, I was hopeless and gave up on life at age 28. I met a couple at Calvary Chapel who showed me love and compassion. With their help, I was able to turn my life around. I am now a Florida State Recovery Peer Specialist and work for the Miami Beach Police Department as a Homeless Liaison Specialist on the Homeless Resource Unit.

Dr. Jennifer Lavoie is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada. She received her PhD in psychology and law from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Addition and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada. Jennifer conducts research focused on policing responses to people living with mental illness. She also investigates how people with mental illness and family carers perceive police encounters during crisis. Jennifer has been working for several years with a multi-perspective, inter-agency research team to develop and test the efficacy of scenario-based training for frontline police officers focused on reducing stigma, enhancing de-escalation techniques, and emphasizing relational policing. She is the lead author on the De-escalating Persons in Crisis Competencies Tool, a framework to assess de-escalation in the context of policing. She has been recognized through Laurier’s Award for Research Excellence (2017, 2020, 2023), the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology’s Wayman Mullins Award for best journal article and has been awarded over $5M in research grants since 2019. Jennifer is currently a lead investigator on a government-funded project developing and testing Virtual Reality scenario-based de-escalation training for frontline police officers.

Emmett Lamb currently serves as a Business Development Executive in the growth division of Street Smarts VR from Brooklyn, NY working with customers and partners across municipal, state, and federal governments and academia. Since 2022, he has led the collaborative initiative to integrate nearly a decade of academic research onto the Street Smarts VR platform and position the Mental Health Crisis Response founding team to scale that training across all of Ontario Province, Canada.

Emmett also continues to serve in uniform as a Reserve Naval Officer with a California-based Marine Corps unit after beginning his professional career with a decade of active-duty service. During that time, he was forward deployed overseas on a guided missile destroyer, deployed in combat to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps and qualified as a Master Training Specialist. Emmett holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with Honors from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia Business School."

Lucas Cadet-Herchenroder has been a police officer in Hamilton Ontario since 2016. Currently assigned to the Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team, he is known for his commitment and dedication to public safety along with his compassionate approach to crisis intervention. With extensive training in de-escalation techniques and crisis management, Lucas excels in high-pressure situations, ensuring immediate and effective responses to emergencies involving mental health crises, substance abuse, and emotional distress. Lucas’ leadership abilities within MCRRT is marked by a proactive stance on community outreach and collaboration with mental health professionals, aiming to bridge gaps in services and scale up on support systems for vulnerable individuals. Valued for his empathy and ability to connect with individuals in distress, Lucas embodies the values of integrity, professionalism, and empathy that define modern policing in crisis intervention.

Amanda Everidge is a Licensed Social Worker with a demonstrated commitment to improving the health and wellness of the community in which she was born and raised. With over 20 years’ experience, she has spearheaded the development of many projects focused on community collaboration regarding mental health and substance misuse including the development of the Healthy Community Initiative, known as Healthy365, Hancock County System of Care, Hancock County CIT, Hancock County CISM, and the Hancock County Community Response Collaborative.

Currently, Amanda serves as the Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Service Line for Hancock Health and Coordinator for the Hancock County Critical Incident Stress Management Team. She was awarded “2023 Hoosier Health and Wellbeing Community Champion” by the Indiana Wellness Council.

Driven by her commitment and advocacy for reducing silos and eliminating barriers, Amanda has a trusted reputation for empowering community collaboration and developing sustainable programs. Proving that small changes can have a big impact."

Sheriff Brad Burkhart is a dedicated public servant who has devoted his life to ensuring the safety and well-being of his community. Born and raised on a family farm in Hancock County, he is a proud lifelong resident, committed to the values and people of his hometown.

His dedication to public safety started early, serving as an EMT and Volunteer Firefighter during his high school years. His journey with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department began more than 36 years ago. He served as a merit deputy for 31 years, contributing to various aspects of law enforcement, including criminal investigations, Underwater Search and Rescue, Special Weapons and Tactics Operator/Team Leader, and K9 handler. He is an ILEA certified instructor on various topics, including Active Shooter for Law Enforcement, Civilian Response to Active Shooters, and Taser use.

As a testament to the trust and respect he has with his community, he was elected Hancock County Sheriff in which he is currently serving his second term. In 2023, the Indiana Sheriff’s Association honored Sheriff Burkhart as the Indiana Sheriff of the Year. Sheriff Brad Burkhart's legacy is one marked by dedication, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to the well-being of Hancock County.

Officer Jeff Futo (retired) worked as a police officer with Kent State University for 26 years. He has been a CIT Coordinator for 20 years with Kent State University. Additionally, he has been the Ohio CIT Coordinator and Law Enforcement Liaison for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence (CJ CCoE) at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) for the past 4 years. In this position he provides guidance and technical assistance to CIT programs and coordinators across the state of Ohio. He holds bachelor's degrees in both Criminal Justice and Psychology.

Mekal Banyasz is the Research, Grants, & Evaluation Manager for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence (CJ CCoE), joining the team in 2019. She works to develop platforms for data collection to preserve and improve Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs across Ohio in collaboration with CIT Coordinators and local law enforcement agencies. These efforts produced the CIT Model Contact Sheet and continues as data collection and information sharing evolves. She developed an essential database comprised of all CIT trainings and regularly creates reports illustrating the performance of CIT. She also serves as a member of the Ohio Attorney General’s Task Force on Research and Best Practices. Ms. Banyasz received her bachelor’s degree in Society, Ethics & Human Behavior from the University of Washington, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.

Nicole Pruss joined the Department of Justice in 2010. She has worked for the COPS Office since October 2020 as a Social Science Analyst. Nicole focuses on crisis intervention and officer safety and wellness. She is also interested in officer recruitment and retention. Before she came to the COPS Office, she worked at the Bureau of Prisons constructing staff and inmate surveys. Nicole also reviewed research proposals and designed program evaluations. She completed her higher education in Texas - first, at Trinity University in San Antonio, and then at The University of Texas in El Paso. Nicole earned her PhD in Legal Psychology from UTEP by conducting original research on eyewitness interviews with interpreters and lineup instructions.

Currently, Amanda serves as the Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Service Line for Hancock Health and Coordinator for the Hancock County Critical Incident Stress Management Team. She was awarded “2023 Hoosier Health and Wellbeing Community Champion” by the Indiana Wellness Council.

Driven by her commitment and advocacy for reducing silos and eliminating barriers, Amanda has a trusted reputation for empowering community collaboration and developing sustainable programs. Proving that small changes can have a big impact."

Brad Negrete has spent his career focused on the intersection of the criminal justice and psychology fields. Brad started his career in the criminal justice field working at a maximum-security prison. After experiencing a personal tragedy, he expanded to pursue dual degrees and earned a BA in Psychology and a BS in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In 2015, Brad was promoted to Director of Crisis Services, serving as the face for law enforcement and crisis-related services. In this role, he was responsible for creating and leading programs such as the CIT Program, After Hours Crisis Clinic, Disaster Response Team, Mobile Crisis Team, the Crisis Center, and other programs. He was honored to be named the Texas CIT Mental Health Professional of the Year. Now back in Omaha, Brad is an Assistant VP for Lutheran Family Services, creating several Crisis Co-Response programs, as well as working with the first mental health court in Nebraska. Brad serves on the Executive Committee for Heartland CIT, is a member of the Douglas County Stepping Up Initiative, and serves on multiple Boards of Directors for non-profit agencies. Brad is honored to be an Adjunct Professor at his alma mater.

Coming Soon

Fernanda Ramirez is a LMFT with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (Kern BHRS). She is currently the supervisor with the Mobile Evaluation Team. She has over 16 years of experience in the behavioral health field, with specific expertise in program development/implementation, crisis intervention, and spearheading collaborative efforts of behavioral health education and advocacy within the County of Kern. Fernanda has had multiple supervisorial roles within Kern BHRS that have culminated in developing more effective policies and protocols for Access & Assessment, Correctional Behavioral Health, and Mobile Crisis Team. She also serves as a Co-Chair for our Kern CIT Team. Fernanda specializes in staff development/retention and provides mentorship to employees that are new to the system of care. Fernanda has served as an instructor for CIT Detention, CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute), ASSIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer), AEGIS Crisis Prevention De-escalation, and Post-Cert CIT. Her presentations include Understanding Mental Health and Illness, Personality Disorders, and MET 101s.

Alice is currently employed with Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services as the Lead Recovery Specialist for the Mobile Evaluation Team. Since 2014, she has co-facilitated Kern County’s Crisis Intervention Training for the Kern County Sheriff's Office and the Bakersfield Police Department. She has over 21 years of experience in the mental health field with specific expertise in crisis case management, inpatient discharge planning, linkage to mental health services via Access and Assessment and crisis intervention training for MET staff. She has worked as the liaison to inpatient psychiatric facilities, co-chaired the Behavioral Medicine Consortium, the Crisis Intervention Steering Committee, MET Mental Health First Aid and the Bakersfield AIDs Advisory Board.

Captain Jeff Burdick has been employed by the Bakersfield Police Department since 1999. He has worked a variety of assignments at the police department which include Patrol Operations, Gang Unit, Directed Policing Unit, Civil Disturbance Team, HIDTA Narcotics Taskforce, Robbery/Homicide, Burglary, Financial Crimes, Special Victim Unit, Internal Affairs and is currently over the Special Operations Division. Captain Burdick is a graduate of Leadership Bakersfield Class of 2011 and the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute Class 358. Captain Burdick holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Bakersfield College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University Bakersfield.

Captain Burdick is the Bakersfield Police Department’s CIT Coordinator, a member of the Kern County Behavioral Health Board, Kern County Crisis Intervention Team co-chair, co-chair of the Children’s Treatment and Recovery Services Committee, member of the Kern County Dependent and Elder Abuse Review Team, and President of the Bakersfield Police Benefit Association. Captain Burdick has previously served on the Domestic Violence Advisory Council, Kern Coalition Against Human Trafficking Steering Committee, and the Kern County Child Death Review Team. Captain Burdick volunteers time as a high school baseball coach and has four children.

Chief Deputy Kessler is a twenty-three-year law enforcement veteran and holds a Business Administration degree from Los Angeles Mission College.

During his career with the Kern County Sheriff's Office, he has been assigned to Patrol, Training Section, Electronic Monitoring Unit, Substation Section, and Detentions Section. In 2010, he helped start the Kern County Sheriff’s Office CIT Program; since then, he has participated in sub-committees, steering committees, and program education development. He continues to grow the program and strengthen the partnership between the Kern County Sheriff's Office, Kern Behavioral Health, Bakersfield Police Department, and NAMI of Kern County. He now brings the techniques learned during his time to the Park Ranger Bureau.

Mark DiBona was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts. In 1985, Mark began his Law Enforcement career with the Braintree Police Department and later transferred to the Amtrak Police Department, Boston District. In 1993, Mark moved to Florida and continued his career with the Avon Park Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, 19 years as a Patrol Sergeant. After 25 years with S.C.S.O. and 33 years of Law Enforcement experience, Mark retired in 2019. Throughout his Law Enforcement career, Mark has held several positions and assignments, to include Field Training Officer, Peer Support Unit, Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Public Information Officer, Police Academy and in-service training Instructor. Mark is an advocate for First Responder suicide prevention, mental health education and wellness. During his career, Mark developed mental health issues and a suicide attempt. He is very open speaking about these issues and his wellness. He is an advocate for First Responder suicide prevention, mental health education and wellness. Mark has appeared in several media events, podcasts, webinars, newspapers, books, documentaries, magazine interviews, radio shows, conferences, training events and in a music video. In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Gailyn of over 33 years.

Melissa has been successfully living with bipolar disorder since being first diagnosed in 2000. It was at that time that Melissa had her first encounter with the CIT of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. She is extremely grateful to the professional expertise and emotional support that CIT has provided, and credits them with saving her life. In 2019, Melissa founded the “Patient Not Prisoner” program in an effort to decrease the number of individuals living with mental illness from entering the criminal justice system. Since that time, Melissa has trained individuals from a wide array of law enforcement and mental health agencies, including CIT International, U.S. Secret Service, National Security Agency, Capitol Police, Baltimore County Police, Anne Arundel County Police, Maryland District, Circuit and Appellate judges, and NAMI Maryland. In 2023, Melissa was awarded the CIT International “Fred Frese Award: Person With Lived Experience” which recognizes a person who is actively involved with promoting, planning, training, and assisting the implementation of CIT's ongoing sustainability efforts.

With 18 years of law enforcement experience, Andrew serves in community services at his agency as a Public Information Officer (PIO), Community Services Officer (CSO), and Department Therapy Dog Handler. Andrew is assigned to the behavioral health unit and peer team and is a multi-faceted instructor within the department. He's a crisis intervention instructor certified in Trauma Services, workplace violence, and Critical Incident Stress Management.

Andrew played a significant role in launching the first responder wellness initiative and co-response programming for law enforcement in Wayne County, Michigan, earning recognition at the 2021 CIT International Conference and the State of Virginia training symposium.

His work with the University of Michigan's School of Social Work focused on engaging diverse communities and implementing co-response programs. He helped fulfill the IACP One-Mind pledge by training all personnel in mental health first-aid and crisis intervention, earning awards like CIT Officer of the Year in 2021 and Officer of the Year in 2022.

He founded Front Line Rescue, supporting first responders with mental health education. Andrew's community engagement programs set precedents for statewide adoption, aiming to strengthen relationships while upholding best practice standards.

Joseph Cuffari, LPC is the Vice President of Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services for the RWJ Barnabas Health Behavioral Health Network, responsible for the oversight of the screening centers and affiliated emergency services within the RWJ Barnabas Health Behavioral Health Network. While maintaining psychiatric screening service affiliations and agreements for all applicable facilities, he will look to develop and/or expand a psychiatric ED component for those sites that do not have a Psychiatric Emergency Screening Service Unit along with establishing and providing ongoing evaluation of crisis professional teams. Joe has been in the mental health profession for over 35 years. Joe began working at Kimball Medical Center as a Psychiatric Screener. In 1993 he was promoted to Unit Supervisor then Assistant Director of Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services the following year. In 2009, Joe assumed the role of Director and became the Regional Director for Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus and Community Medical Center in 2012. He is currently a member of the NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services Planning Committee, the Justice Involved Services Task Force and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT-NJ), Ocean County’s ERC, and member of PAC.

Joseph Haber, MA, MSW, LCSW is the Vice President of Legacy Treatment Services Ambulatory and Emergency Services Division. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, a Certified Mental Health Screener, and a Disaster Response Crisis Counselor. Joe’s experience spans the continuum of care and he is responsible for overseeing the agency’s emergency services programming, outpatient programming, prevention programming and case management programs including budgeting, staffing, training, and strategic planning for service divisions. Joe has spearheaded several new initiatives and is responsible for the development of several new programs including integrated care, community based crisis response and the development of co-response models to crisis.

Amy Holmes, as a nationally certified Community Health Education Specialist in Public Health, brings her public health background to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s prevention and intervention strategies which innovate crime prevention and public safety improvements. Ms. Holmes obtained her public degree from Stockton University, and was the Health Educator for the Vineland Health Department prior to joining the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office in December of 2021 as the Trauma Prevention Coordinator. Ms. Holmes has specific education and experience in developing and conducting assessments of needs and capacity, planning prevention and intervention strategies, designing and delivering education and awareness campaigns, advocating for equitable access to supportive services for positive outcomes, engaging priority populations, partners, and stakeholders to include in strategic planning, and developing plans and materials for project implementation and evaluation. Ms. Holmes is currently the Cumberland County’s ARRIVE Together Coordinator, the EMBHED Program Coordinator (Effective Mental & Behavioral Health Emergency Diversion), the Handle With Care Coordinator, and staffs the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition’s Youth Trauma Prevention and Intervention Workgroup using data and best practices to design and implement strategies to prevent and reduce youth trauma in Cumberland County.

Habsi Kaba is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 30 years of experience in the field of mental health, recovery, and rehabilitation. She leads the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program in Miami-Dade County, and is a passionate educator, mental health professional, and advocate. Habsi is CIT International’s 2nd Vice-President, Florida CIT Coalition Co-Chair, with 20 years of experience as a certified master instructor in law enforcement CIT training, de-escalating, with over 15,000 first responders, criminal justice stakeholders, educators, elementary to university students, medical, and social service professionals trained throughout the U.S., Canada, and Spain. Habsi is internationally recognized as an expert in CIT program implementation, crisis response models, curriculum design, first responder wellness, and communication/de-escalation techniques. Habsi has two decades of experience in the inner workings of police patrol operations, and the behavioral health/criminal justice system. She is known for her vast network, and expertise in facilitating comprehensive, law enforcement agency-wide approaches and partnerships and with the behavioral health system, and development of national best practices, and systems transformation. Habsi serves as a consultant for the private sector, non-profit and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security U.S. ICE Hostage Negotiation Team.

Benni serves as a Crisis Intervention Team officer with York Regional Police, one of Canada's largest police services, and works as an independent behavioural scientist. His career in crisis intervention started with Germany's federal crisis negotiations team and continued at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Population Health, where he was part of the Tactical Decision Making Research Group and earned his PhD in psychology.

Now based in the Greater Toronto Area, he is passionately exploring the cognitive processes that underlie empathy-based rapport-building and decision making in crisis intervention contexts and beyond. His research regularly includes police officers and translates into evidence-based training and peer-reviewed publications.

Benni also serves on the Toronto Police Services Board's Mental Health & Addictions Advisory Panel and as the vice-chair of the board of directors for Distress and Crisis Ontario, the province's umbrella organization for suicide prevention and crisis intervention helplines. He is committed to using his unique insights as a police officer, researcher, and community advocate to deepen our understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable community members during encounters with the police, both on an individual and systemic level."

Yolanda Cruz is the Founder and Director of LEAD Trainers, an organization that advocates for a safer environment for those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through training, resource development and programs that can help them navigate the criminal justice system.

Yolanda has worked within the developmental disabilities system for over 25 years, she holds several certifications including Californita POST AICC I,II, III allowing her to teach on the developmental disabilities domain at several police academies in California.

Yolanda also serves on the board of CIT International as Board Treasurer.

Officer Christopher Christman is a 29-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department, he is currently assigned to the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy as a TAC Officer.

From 2017-2022, Officer Christman was a full-time instructor in the Seattle PD Education and Training Section, where he was the department’s lead CIT/De-Escalation instructor. In this role, he was responsible for developing and instructing SPD’s annual CIT curriculum for all sworn Seattle officers. He instructed on CIT related topics including Verbal De-Escalation, Tactical De-Escalation, Response to Suicidal Subjects and Law Enforcement & Autism. Officer Christman was also responsible for ensuring that SPD’s CIT/De-Escalation training met the requirements agreed upon in 2012 as part of SPD’s Settlement Agreement with the US Dept. of Justice.

Ofc. Christman has presented his classes on both a multi-state regional and National level including at the 2019/2021 CIT International Conferences and 2022 International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association Conference.

Additionally, in 2019 Ofc. Christman’s “Law Enforcement & Autism” class was selected by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center to be mandatory state-wide curriculum for every sworn law enforcement officer in Washington State."

Anne LaForce is a Licensed Psychological Associate with a master’s degree in clinical psychology.  Anne has over 27 years of experience working with adults, adolescents and children with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health disorders.  As a Senior Project Manager and Director of Therapeutic Coaching for the National Center for START Services, Anne provides consultation and training to START teams across the country and facilitates monthly practice groups for Therapeutic Team Leaders and Clinical Directors.  Anne has experience in practicing and training other clinicians in crisis prevention and intervention, implementation of positive psychology approaches, assessment of biopsychosocial factors and trauma informed care practices.

Hannah Rodriguez is a prior service U.S. Army Specialist who served as an explosives ordnance disposal technician. Before the military, Hannah served as a firefighter/EMT in Connecticut for several years before becoming a fire and EMS instructor for her department and the National College of Technical Instruction. She attended the University of New Haven where she earned dual bachelor's degrees in Arson Investigation and Fire Administration. Hannah joined the Maryland’s Commitment to Veterans Team as the Service Member, Veteran and Family Suicide Prevention Administrator at the Maryland Department of Health Behavioral Health Administration in 2021 and continues to serve her military family through the Maryland Governor’s Challenge by reducing suicides in the military-connected population.

Jennifer Spieth is a retired Corporal from the Anne Arundel County Police Department (Maryland). She earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal justice from the University of Maryland and her master’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston. Jennifer began her law enforcement career as a dispatcher before transitioning to police officer. Before the implementation of the CIT unit, Jennifer had specialty assignments to include K-9, Staff Inspections, and Police Academy instructor. Jennifer was one of the two original CIT officers requested to staff the new unit when her department created it in 2014. This CIT team, amongst their numerous awards, won the prestigious CIT International Team of the Year in 2020. Jennifer spent the last 8 years of her career on that team, until her retirement in 2022. Jennifer is a certified CIT Coordinator through CIT International and now is working as a CIT Specialist for the Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency. In this capacity, she continues to hold training sessions in CIT for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Ret. Chief Edward Dobleman isn't one to rest on his laurels. After a distinguished career leading the police department and implementing innovative programs, Ed views his time as Chief with pride. He instilled a vision of "Pride in our Community, Pride in our Department, and Pride in Ourselves," which continues to guide the force. Following retirement, Ed's dedication to public service didn't wane. He lent his expertise as a consultant and assessor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Currently, he serves as the NJ State Crisis Intervention Director, overseeing the CIT-NJ program. Ed's commitment extends beyond his official roles. He participates in various organizations: the International Chiefs of Police Association, the State of NJ Chiefs of Police Association, and the Camden County Chief of Police Association. He champions the Tri-State K-9 Response Team as Vice President and sits on the board of the Camden County Hero Scholarship Foundation, supporting families of fallen first responders. Ed helped develop mental health performance objectives for ATLAS, a company utilizing technology to improve police performance. Ed graduated from West Point’s Command and Leadership and further his qualifications with a Certified Public Manager certification and training as an Executive Director for non-profits.

Janice is the founder of Tri-State Canine Response Team, a non-profit organization started in 2015. Janice has been passionate about this organization which is devoted to providing certified trained handler/dog teams for animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted crisis response teams. Janice and her organization provide support, aid, and comfort to 1st responders, victims of disaster, catastrophes, and violence throughout the county.

Janice's work experience includes 16yrs as founder of Major medical Hospital Service Inc, 20yrs as an employee of the Mental Health Association Southwestern NJ, and 2yrs as an animal vet technician.

Janice holds certificates as a therapy dog prep instructor, therapy dog tester and observer for a national organization, evaluator for AKC-CGC, AKC-CGCU, and is a certified tester for CIT-NJ’s Crisis Canine Response Team (CCRT) allowing national deployment certification status. Janice is also a graduate of CIT-NJ, Psychological First Aid, National Incident Management System (NIMS 700) /Incident Command System (ICS 100), Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth), Question Persuade & Refer Instructor (QPR), Disaster Response Crisis Counselor and is a Lead Team member for the Traumatic Loss Coalition in several NJ counties. Janice has over 10 national deployments and 2,000 + local call-outs with her canine partners."

Kimble Richardson has a master’s degree in counseling from Indiana University, 37 years of experience, and is the manager of Business Development for Community Fairbanks Behavioral Health. He is licensed as an LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, and LCAC and a member of the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services licensing board. The Indiana Counseling Association awarded him “Mental Health Counselor of the Year” and “Distinguished Counselor of the Year.” In 2022, he was awarded the inaugural “Indiana CIT Behavioral Health Professional of the Year.” He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Indianapolis, an instructor for and clinical coordinator of several Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams, coordinator for the Indiana District 5 Resilience and Emotional Support Team, and University of New Mexico School of Medicine ECHO Hub Team member. He has responded to and/or coordinated approximately 1,000 requests for support, including ten First Responder line-of-duty-deaths. He has served as a trainer for the US Postal Service, FBI, NCAA, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He attended the FBI Academy’s Threat Assessment and Threat Analysis training in Quantico, VA taught by the Behavioral Analysis Unit. In 2023, he co-authored a HRSA-sponsored workbook on resilience.

For more than 25 years, Marge served as a School Psychologist and Educational Supervisor with Camden City Public School District. She worked with students and parents providing direct educational psychological services as well as mentoring other team members on special education compliance issues. As a supervisor, she oversaw child study teams and speech pathologists as they provided mandated services.

Marge has taken numerous courses to advance her skill set including CIT-NJ, Psychological First Aid, National Incident Management System (NIMS 700) /Incident Command System (ICS 100), Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth) as well as various other related courses. She is certified as a Disaster Response Crisis Counselor and a Lead Team member for the Traumatic Loss Coalition of Gloucester, Camden and Burlington, NJ counties. In 2021, Abigail and Marge were honored with CIT’s Collaboration Award for 2020 and were recognized as hometown heroes by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Marge is a certified (QPR) instructor and has instructed various fields including law enforcement, mental health, heath care, education, and various other fields. Providing crisis response services through Tri-State K-9 Team, it gives her the opportunity to be proactive and help prevent suicides rather than only responding after a tragedy."

Jeanette has over 20 years of experience working in the mental health field with people from birth to death through non-profit agencies, hospitals, and the police department.  An independently Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Jeanette focuses her work and her advocacy around issues dear to her heart.  She specializes in working with the LGBTQIA+ community, healing trauma work, intersections of identities, first responders, and military veterans.  As the Director of Clinical Services of Behavioral Medicine at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, she established a Mental Health Court and Partial Hospitalization Program.  In 2020, Jeanette began working at the Alamogordo Police Department as the CIT Clinical Director and co-created the Mobile Crisis Response Team. Jeanette is a current member of the CIT International Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Social Work and Law Enforcement Network."

Trained as a mental health services researcher, Amy Watson, PhD has focused on people with serious mental illnesses that come in contact with the criminal legal system and interventions to prevent and reduce criminal legal involvement. She has conducted extensive research on police encounters with persons with mental illnesses and the CIT model. Her current work includes a RCT of CIT training and projects looking at models to reduce or eliminate the role of law enforcement in mental health crisis response and the development of the crisis services system (988, mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization centers). She is currently president of the board of Crisis Response Programs and Training. Other professional activities include serving on the CIT International Board of Directors from 2016-2021, (as President of the Board 2020-2021) and on the compliance team for the DOJ Settlement Agreement with the City of Portland, Oregon. Her practice experience includes working as a probation officer on a team serving clients with serious mental illnesses and as a Forensic Social Worker/Mitigation Specialist working on death penalty cases. She has a BA in Criminal Justice from Aurora University and an AM and PhD from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

Michael T. Compton, M.D., M.P.H. is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, in the Division of Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research. He is also a Research Psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, which is part of the New York State Office of Mental Health. Dr. Compton is triple-boarded in psychiatry, preventive medicine, and lifestyle medicine. He has maintained continuous NIMH research funding for more than 20 years, conducting research on CIT, first-episode psychosis, mental health services, and several other areas. His research has led to more than 250 publications. His books include a manual for police officers responding to persons with mental illnesses, a guide for patients with first-episode psychosis and their family members, a textbook on the complex connection between marijuana and schizophrenia, and six American Psychiatric Association books, including: The Social Determinants of Mental Health (2015), Marijuana and Mental Health (2016), The American Opioid Epidemic: From Patient Care to Public Health (2019), Struggle and Solidarity: Seven Stories of How Americans Fought for Their Mental Health through Federal Legislation (2023), and Entangled: How People with Mental Illnesses Get Caught Up in Misdemeanor Systems and Pathways to Reform (forthcoming).

Elisabeth Jackson, M.A., is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a research assistant in Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry. She completed her bachelor of arts in Government at Cornell University in May of 2022 and her master of arts in Forensic Psychology at New York University in May of 2024. She intends to pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology, continuing her exploration of the interplay between mental illness and the criminal legal system. Her co-authorships to date include: “Predictors of Criminal Sentiments Scale–Modified Scores among Outpatients with Serious Mental Illnesses and a History of Criminal Legal System Involvement” (in press), Entangled: How People with Serious Mental Illnesses Get and Stay Caught Up in Misdemeanor Systems (book chapter, in press), “Understanding How Experiences in the Criminal Legal System Inform Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified Scores: A Qualitative Study Among Outpatients with Serious Mental Illnesses and a History of Criminal Legal System Involvement” (in progress), and “Randomized, Controlled Trial of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Mental Health Training for Police Officers – Protocol” (in progress).

En Fu, Ph.D. is a Research Coordinator at the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Macau and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Alabama. She has experience conducting human research projects in industry and academic settings. En is skilled with collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, especially regression-based statistical modeling. She is currently involved in research projects on adult psychiatric services and adolescent mental health. She has published 24 research papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Melanie Rhodes, LMFT, LPCC, CCISM is a licensed clinician with over 25 years of experience working with those impacted by severe mental illness and co-occurring conditions. She is the Deputy Director overseeing provision of Access, Adult, Crisis, and Forensic Services for Monterey County Behavioral Health in Salinas, California. She is the agency liaison with the county jail, court partners, parole, public safety, and law enforcement personnel, and oversees the Behavioral Health Specialty Teams, specifically the Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team, Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). She is a Certified CIT Coordinator by CIT International and has been the Behavioral Health coordinator and facilitator of the 40-hour CIT Academy in Monterey County since 2015. Melanie is a trainer for behavioral health and first responder personnel in the areas of mental health, crisis intervention, safety, self-care, verbal intervention, and de-escalation. She is passionate about advocating for those with severe mental illness and substance use disorder conditions, seeking to eliminate stigma, break down barriers, and collaborate with community stakeholders and justice partners so individuals and families can access needed services, support and treatment that is strength-based and trauma-informed in a timely and humanistic manner.

Since 2019, Lee Ann Magoski has been the Director of Emergency Communications Department for the County of Monterey (CA). She has worked at four agencies, starting from the dispatch console in 1996 and working her way to the Director's position. Throughout her 28-year career she has developed experience in operations, administration, and technology. She served on the California Chapter of NENA (CALNENA), Executive board from 2016 to 2022 and is a CALNENA Past President. While on the CALNENA board she became involved with legislative advocacy and in 2020 the legislation passed on a state level to recognize Telecommunicators as First Responders. Lee Ann served as a California's 9-1-1 Advisory Board member from June 2018 to December 2022. She has also been on the NENA 911-988 interactions working group since it began in late 2021. In 2023 she joined the California HHS 988-Crisis Policy Advisory Group for the implementation of a 5-year plan for California for Assembly Bill 988 (Miles Hall Lifeline Act). She received a bachelor’s degree in management and a master's degree in leadership both from Saint Mary's College of California. In June 2023 she joined the NENA Executive Board and will be the NENA President in 2025.

Tina-Marie Brown, LCSW-C is the director of Eastern Shore Crisis Response, a rural crisis program that serves 8 counties in Maryland. Our crisis system includes mobile crisis teams, call center, two CIT programs. Tina received her MSW from University of Maryland School of Social Work and has her trauma certification from Justice Resource Institute of Boston, is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management and is one of the instructors for the CIT program. A majority of her career has been working with consumers who experienced mental illness. She is experienced in program & policy developement.

Michelle Grigsby-Hackett, CEO. Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) with over 22 years of experience in the behavioral health industry. Michelle completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Arizona State University and her Master of Arts Degree in Professional Counseling from Argosy University. She has devoted her career to assisting adults, children, and families experiencing challenges with mental health, substance use, and behavioral health crises. Michelle has served several roles during her 20 years with Affiliated Santé Group, including Director of Psychiatric Recovery Services, Outpatient Behavioral Health Director, and Vice President of Crisis Response Services. Michelle is dedicated to understanding the needs of our communities, as well as developing partnerships with state and community stakeholders to meet the growing needs of individuals living with behavioral health conditions, as well as those experiencing crises. In her role as Chief Executive Officer, Michelle is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, as well as leading the operational responsibilities for Santé as a service provider and organizational manager for five entities.

Kathryn Dilley, LCSW-C, serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Mid Shore Behavioral Health, Inc., Core Service Agency serving as a local authority of the Behavioral Health Administration, Maryland Department of Health, representing Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties. Mid Shore Behavioral Health is a 501(c)(3) located in Easton, Maryland, that is responsible for the planning, systems management, quality monitoring, capacity development, and oversight of the Publicly Funded Behavioral Health Systems in the mid-shore region. Dilley serves on several advising bodies for the state of Maryland. Dilley is the Chair of the Maryland Behavioral Health Advisory Council, Co-Chair and appointed member of the Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access, co-chair of the Behavioral Health Coalition of the Eastern Shore, and member of the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition. In addition, Dilley serves on local mid-shore advising bodies. Dilley developed and has led the Bay Bridge Partnership since August of 2020. Before joining the team of Mid Shore Behavioral Health, Dilley held leadership positions in behavioral health in the District of Columbia, Austin, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Dilley has worked in acute care facilities, inpatient psychiatric settings, long term care, public school systems, and hospice care. Dilley has a passion for her career of service to the community and has special interests in the aging and maternal/newborn populations, crisis systems, and behavioral health systems development. Dilley is a native of Maryland and is a graduate of Tulane University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Master of Science in Social Work. Dilley is licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Texas.

Brigitte Kealy is the Programs Director at Mid Shore Behavioral Health, overseeing public behavioral health services across five counties in Maryland. She holds a degree in Psychology from Roanoke College and a master’s in human services from Walden University. With over thirty years of experience in the field, Brigitte has a rich background that includes child welfare and managing a Court Appointed Special Advocate program. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, boating, and reading.

Megan Saulsbury is a graduate of West Virginia University where she graduated with honors and obtained her Bachelors Degree in Social Work. She continued her education at Salisbury University and graduated with her Master's Degree in Social Work. She was a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society during her time at SU. Megan obtained her LCSW-C licensure in 2012 and has worked with various populations during her social work career spanning over 25 years in the field. She has 2 daughters aged 22 and 8 and enjoys spending time at the beach and camping and travel /exploring of any sort.

Kailee Evans is a CIT Coordinator who has helped implement the first corrections-based CIT program in Oregon. She is the CiSM Team Lead at the largest prison in Oregon, is a Correctional Counselor, and is a CIT Coordinator for High Desert CIT in Malheur County, Oregon.

Ridg Medford helped start up High Desert CIT in Malheur County over 10 years ago. He has worked as a City Police Officer and currently works for the Oregon Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Integration to support CIT programs across the state of Oregon. He is also the Vice President of CIT International.

Kari Key, ENP is the Quality Assurance Coordinator and Peer Support Coordinator with Hamilton County Public Safety Communications in Indiana. She has over 15 years of experience in public safety communications. She is trained in both police and fire radio, in addition to call taking. She has previously worked in the positions of Communications Training Officer (CTO), Supervisor, and Training and Quality Assurance Officer. She received Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training in 2012 and since training has represented dispatch on the local CIT committee. In 2022, she obtained certification as a CIT Coordinator through CIT International. She was trained in 2015 through International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) in Group Crisis Intervention and Assisting Individuals in Crisis. After receiving training through ICISF, Kari started at Hamilton County Public Safety Communications the state’s first Peer Support Team specifically for 911 professionals. Kari has also received training through ICISF in Advanced Group Crisis Intervention. Kari has coordinated or assisted other local Peer Support Teams with various critical incidents including a school shooting, first responder line of duty deaths, firefighter Mayday, and the death of a dispatcher.

Kimble Richardson has a master’s degree in Counseling from Indiana University, 37 years of experience, and is the manager of Business Development for Community Fairbanks Behavioral Health. He is licensed as an LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, and LCAC and a member of the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services licensing board. The Indiana Counseling Association awarded him “Mental Health Counselor of the Year” and “Distinguished Counselor of the Year.” In 2022, he was awarded the inaugural “Indiana CIT Behavioral Health Professional of the Year.” He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Indianapolis, an instructor for and clinical coordinator of several Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams, coordinator for the Indiana District 5 Resilience and Emotional Support Team, and University of New Mexico School of Medicine ECHO Hub Team member. He has responded to and/or coordinated approximately 1,000 requests for support, including ten First Responder line-of-duty-deaths. He has served as a trainer for the US Postal Service, FBI, NCAA, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He attended the FBI Academy’s Threat Assessment and Threat Analysis training in Quantico, VA taught by the Behavioral Analysis Unit. In 2023, he co-authored a HRSA-sponsored workbook on resilience.

Dr. Eric Yazel graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Biology, followed by a M.A. in Clinical Physiology from Ball State University. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Louisville and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine there as well, serving as Chief Resident. Over the years he has been medical director for numerous EMS services in the Kentuckiana area, both urban and rural in nature. He currently serves as the EMS Medical Director for the State of Indiana. In addition, he also hold positions as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Louisville, Attending Physician at Norton Clark Emergency Department, Clark County Health Officer, Chief Medical Officer for LifeSpring Health Systems, and Chief Tactical Physician for the Jeffersonville Police Department.

Eric was born in northern Indiana and grew up in Indianapolis. He has been a Clark County resident since 2006. He enjoys travelling, basketball, and all things outdoors, especially spending time on his farm in Borden with his wife and two children.

Having served as a law enforcement officer for 30 years at the municipal, county, and state levels, Bill is a trainer of community policing, MHFT, YMHFA, and de-escalation. He previously served as the CIT LE Coordinator for CIT Maine, and now serves in a mental health liaison role for Dickinson College's public safety department.

Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) John P. Skillestad has served 33+ years with the FBI. SSA Skillestad started his career in the Dallas Division investigating Violent Crimes, Drugs, and Public Corruption. SSA Skillestad then served as supervisor of the Violent Crimes and Public Corruption Squads. He was the Crisis Management Coordinator and a Behavioral Analysis Unit Coordinator. In those roles he provided training regarding Active Shooter (AS) situations to local, state, and federal law enforcement officials as well as community organizations including primary and secondary schools.

In April 2018, SSA Skillestad was promoted to FBIHQ Office of Partner Engagement, Violence Reduction Unit, as Program Manager of the AS program. In this role, SSA Skillestad oversees the annual AS Study examining AS incidents in the US. He provides training regarding AS planning, preparedness, response, and recovery to law enforcement personnel, first responders, military personnel, educators, businesses, healthcare workers, houses of worship, and community leaders. SSA Skillestad implemented AS awareness training for the professional staff of the FBI which is suitable for use when training the public.

SSA Skillestad graduated from the Loyola School of Law (New Orleans, LA) in 1990 with a Juris Doctor and is a member of the Louisiana Bar."

Detective Sabrina Taylor, MPA, is the current CIT Coordinator for the Phoenix Police Department and a former CIT International board member. She has been a police officer for 20 years and is one of the authors of the CIT International Best Practice Guide. She obtained her Master's degree in Public Administration and is currently working on her Ph.D. in the Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology at Arizona State University.

Melissa Ripley is an Investigator with 24 years of experience at the Lincoln Police Department. She currently serves as the Homeless Outreach Coordinator for LPD. Throughout her career, she has been a steadfast advocate for breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues and homelessness. Melissa's commitment to using her role as a police officer to amplify the voices of the vulnerable showcases her unwavering dedication to community welfare. Her extensive experience and compassionate approach makes her an asset in addressing the complex challenges of homelessness and mental health within the community.

Jeanette Borunda has over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. She is the CIT Clinical Director for the Alamogordo Police Department where she co-created and built its Mobile Crisis Response Team. She is also an independently Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in working with the LGBTQIA+ community, healing trauma work, intersections of identities, first responders, and military veterans. Jeanette is the Vice President for the Otero County Community Health Council, is on the 100 % Otero Community Initiative Board of Directors, and serves on the New Mexico Education Judicial Committee for the Summit on Improving the Court and Community Response to Those with Mental Illness. Previously, Jeanette was the Director of Clinical Services of Behavioral Medicine at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center where she established a Mental Health Court and Partial Hospitalization Program. She was also the Vice President for the National Alliance of Mental Illness-Southern New Mexico Board of Directors, and facilitated training workshops throughout New Mexico and Washington. She has presented at the PSRANM Conference, NM Immigrant Law Center, Santa Fe Community College, Gender Odyssey International Conference, Americorps, the Washington Play Therapy Association, and served on the 2017 Gender Odyssey International Conference POC Advisory Committee.

Brian R. Peete serves as the Director of the Riley County Police Department in Manhattan Kansas. He has also served as the Chief of Police in Montpelier, Vermont, and the Police Chief for the Alamogordo Police Department in New Mexico. Brian also worked in the City of Chicago’s Inspector General’s Office as the Chief Forensic Audit Investigator for Public Safety (Police Accountability) and as a Chief Investigator. He was also a Patrolman, Field Training Officer, and Fusion Center Analyst for the Chicago Police Department. Director Peete also served in federal law enforcement in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations as the Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge (Operations Officer), Detachment 206 Las Vegas, NV, where he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and coordinated U.S. and Afghan forces in over 150 counterespionage, counterterrorism/counterintelligence, and force protection missions. He also was the Regional Manager for Operations Enhancement, 2nd Field Investigations Region at Langley Air Force Base responsible for the investigations and operations for over 400 Special Agents in 31 AFOSI offices worldwide to include Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tony Stelter, LPC resides in Moore, OK and serves as the Chief of Statewide Crisis Services for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Tony is responsible for overseeing the planning, developing, implementation, managing, improving and other aspects of Oklahoma’s crisis continuum. Stelter serves as a founding member of the Lived Experience Advisory Committee for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Tony has over 13 years of experience working in mental health and substance use services in a variety of roles including outpatient, inpatient, community response, consumer advocacy, and crisis. Tony recently served as the Director of Contact Center Operations and Clinical Services for Oklahoma’s statewide 988 Contact Center. Tony received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in Psychology and Received his Master’s in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Tony is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Oklahoma and a proud father to his teenage son.Stelter is an advocate for eliminating stigma and believes collaboration, partnership, and compassion is the approach needed for a successful crisis continuum.

Dedra Hansbro is the Senior Director of the Justice Services Division for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. This division oversees programming and diversion opportunities throughout the criminal and civil systems. Over the previous twenty plus years, she has worked with various systems, diversionary programs and served diverse substance use and behavioral health populations. Dedra holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Oklahoma and is currently an LPC candidate.

Maria is Chief Crisis Officer at Horizon Health and Wellness. She draws from her BA in Psychology and Family Studies from the University of Arizona, her skills developed through being an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and Handle With Care trainer, CIT instructor, her 21 years of experience working in behavioral health, 20 of which working with crisis mobile teams, in her management of the Mobile Crisis Services. Maria’s mobile crisis teams are serving expansive Pinal County Arizona in a twenty-four seven capacity as two-person community-based emergency behavioral health teams who complete community stabilization, risk assessment, and referral. These teams often identify people who would benefit from outreach. Maria has developed Outreach Teams who identify non-enrolled individuals in the community, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and those releasing from incarceration. They assist with insurance eligibility, complete Severely Mentally Ill determinations, enrollment with behavioral health providers, and connection to local community resources. Maria also manages the rapid response enrollment of children removed from their homes by the Department of Children’s Services. Maria’s passion for pediatric wellness shows through her direction of Youth Engagement Services, or the YES team.

Frank’s work relies on his deep understanding of, and commitment to, both the behavioral health and criminal justice systems. His results include increasing efficiency to reduce the time members spend in emergency departments, tripling the number of officers trained in crisis intervention (increasing jail diversions while getting more people the correct level of care) in Maricopa County, and working with Gila County and Pinal County law enforcement officers and behavioral health staff to develop CIT programs for their rural counties. Prior to joining Mercy Care, Frank enjoyed a 25-year career as a police officer for the Scottsdale Police Department where he developed his skillset. His contributions to the Scottsdale P.D. were multifaceted, spanning oversight of numerous departmental programs including leadership of the SWAT crisis negotiations team, and management of the CIT program. His work with CIT put him in partnership with the Regional Behavioral Health Authority and the work that contributed to his deep understanding of the Maricopa County behavioral health system. Frank holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Ashford University and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University where he focused on the interconnectedness of the criminal justice and behavioral health systems.

Dr. Carlos Martinez, PsyD serves his community in multiple roles: as a law enforcement officer, adjunct professor, and associate therapist. With a foot in each of these worlds, Carlos brings a practical and grounded perspective to ethical decision-making and crisis intervention. In policing, Carlos has encountered the realities of crisis situations and assessments. Teaching allows him to share these real-life experiences with students, emphasizing the importance of compassion and ethical decision making. As a therapist, Carlos adds a layer of understanding about the impact of trauma and the importance of empathy in healing and crisis resolution. This blend of experiences informs his approach, offering workshop participants insights that are both practical, empathetic, and rooted in the day-to-day work of helping and protecting others.

Law Enforcement Officer - Joe has served as an officer for over 20 years in Illinois, including 5 years as a CIT officer for Palos Heights in Chicago’s south suburbs. As a CIT officer, he participated in a co-responder pilot program and has actively counseled other officers new to the program. Joe recently completed his master’s degree in social work and obtained his LSW certification.

Clinical Therapist, ILETSB Instructor: John is the Northern Illinois CIT Regional Coordinator. John has over 30 years’ experience working at the intersection of youth and families, communities, law enforcement, school and mental health in prevention, counseling, intervention and crises situations. He instructs at the Chicago Police Academy and across the state on multiple courses including CIT, School Resource Officers, Juvenile Officer Training, and others.

Clinical Therapist, ILETBS Instructor: Mark Benson is a Nationally Certified Counselor and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois. He is a trainer and Regional Coordinator (Central and Southern Illinois) for the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board CIT training program. Mark has been training with Illinois CIT since 2010. Mark’s background includes 18 years of providing correctional mental health services and crisis intervention. Mark was a crisis interventionist in a co-responder program in 3 counties in Illinois for over 10 years.

John Keigher is Chief Legal Counsel for the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standard Board where he handles matters related to program policy development, legislative review, and decertification. Prior to joining ILETSB, John served as a civil attorney and as legislative counsel for the Illinois General Assembly.

John Osborn, LCSW is a CIT Coordinator and Veterans Specialist for Mecklenburg County in Charlotte, NC where he trains first responders to support people having a mental health crisis. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri. John is passionate about working with Veterans. This passion comes from his time in the Army National Guard where he deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008. Conducting Route Clearance Missions during his tour of duty, John was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for acts of heroism and meritorious service. As a CIT Coordinator and Veteran Specialist, he collaborates with Veteran partners to create and maintain partnerships with the Veteran community and facilitate collaboration with our Veterans in the Justice System.

Prior to his work with CIT, John worked as a LINKS Coordinator for Mecklenburg County Youth and Family Services, where he prepared teenagers in foster care for adulthood. Additionally, John served as the Director of Operations for Welcome Home, Inc. in Columbia, MO, providing basic needs and therapeutic services to Veterans experiencing homelessness while creating and maintaining partnerships with the Veteran community and creating a crisis continuum that benefits Veterans."

Johanna Covault, LCSW is currently the CIT Coordinator for Mecklenburg County in Charlotte, NC where she trains first responders to support people having a mental health crisis. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Previously, Johanna was a trauma therapist for the Child Development-Community Policing (CDCP) program, which partners with law enforcement to provide trauma therapy to children who are victims of or witnesses of violence or other trauma. Johanna continues her work as a trainer, teaching law enforcement officers about the impact of trauma on childhood development, trauma symptoms, and mental illness. She has been trained in different methods of therapy such as TFCBT, Perinatal Mood Disorders, Resources for Resilience, among others. Johanna has also worked with rape crisis and is also currently in private practice providing counseling services.

Chasity Lambert, LCSW has over 25 years of experience in the mental health field and is currently CIT and H.O.P.E. Health Program Manager for Mecklenburg County Public Health Department. Chasity is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work degree from NYU. Prior to her work with CIT, Chasity worked as a clinician for the Child Development-Community Policing (CDCP) program which provides trauma treatment to children in partnership with law enforcement. Chasity has also worked in school settings providing school based therapy and with law enforcement providing mental health services and assessments. Chasity has worked as a professor and taught several classes. Chasity is passionate and committed to bringing mental health tools, skills, knowledge and awareness to the community.

Officer Mario Reid, Mental Health Liaison, received a Bachelor’s of Art Public Relations and Social Sciences degree from the University of Southern Indiana, Class of 2010. Has been an officer with the Evansville Police Department for 9 years. He began his current position as the Community Mental Health & Homeless Outreach Officer in October 2020. The position has evolved into the Mental Health & Homeless Liaison to capture the work through partnerships that are integral to the success of the program. Mario has previously worked in mental health, child welfare, and youth programs. In February 2022 Mario Reid began working as the full time Community Mental Health Liaison Officer to better meet the needs of Mental Health Consumers in the Evansville, Indiana area.

Charlotte Critchfield, LCSW, is a University of Southern Indiana Class of 2017 Master’s of Social Work graduate. She began her career working in home-based services with families referred by DCS. She made the move into addiction services at Stepping Stone in 2020 and has moved into the Clinical Manager position with the Crisis Services department at Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare. Life experience and work in direct services in the homeless community have been invaluable for her work in crisis care.

Sergeant Joshua Brewer leads the Crime Prevention Unit with the Evansville Police Department. He is a graduate of Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology. Josh is a trained Crisis Intervention Officer and is a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Homelessness. Josh has a unique “boots on the ground” approach as a first responder to individuals experiencing homelessness and crisis in Evansville.

Savannah Wood is the Chief Executive Officer of ECHO Housing Corporation, a 501c3 Community Development Corporation in Evansville, Indiana. In addition to the community development initiatives of the agency, ECHO Housing oversees eight homeless service programs dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable individuals experiencing persistent mental illness and substance use disorders in the community. Savannah’s understanding of housing instability and her passion for assisting the low-income community with overcoming barriers to housing and employment is what led her to her current position. Savannah is an honorably discharged U.S. Army Veteran and graduate from the American Military University.

Ms. Jones has been working with Affiliated Santé Group for over 15 years. She has a wealth of crisis system support experience including program design, project management, proposal development, and data and reporting. She has worked with database design and reporting since 1999 and is currently a graduate student with the Milken Institute with George Washington University working toward a master’s in public health with a focus on informatics. Ms. Jones is currently the Data Systems Administrator for Santé. She is responsible for configuring, supporting, and training three separate data systems. Her robust documentation and reporting expertise focuses on the relationships between data entry, data extrapolation, and data aggregation. She specializes particularly in crisis metrics and has participated in both local and State Crisis Metric workgroups and advisory sessions and manages Santé’s real-time crisis data dashboards.

Michelle Grigsby-Hackett is the CEO of Affiliated Santé Group. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) with over 22 years of experience in the behavioral health industry. Michelle has devoted her career to assisting adults, children, and families experiencing challenges with mental health, substance use, and behavioral health crises. Ms. Grigsby-Hackett has served several roles during her 20 years with Affiliated Santé Group, including Director of Psychiatric Recovery Services, Outpatient Behavioral Health Director, and Vice President of Crisis Response Services. Michelle is dedicated to understanding the needs of our communities, as well as developing partnerships with state and community stakeholders to meet the growing needs of individuals living with behavioral health conditions, as well as those experiencing crises. In her role as Chief Executive Officer, she is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, as well as leading the operational responsibilities for Santé. As a service provider and organizational manager for five entities, Michelle's role is to effectively manage all service and business operations. Ms. Grigsby-Hackett is the first African American and woman to hold this role in the organization.

Michele Russell is the Manager of Crisis Services at LaFrontera-EMPACT. EMPACT-SPC is an Arizona AAS accredited agency focused on suicide prevention. As the Manager of Crisis Services, she oversees Mobile Crisis and Follow-Up Team services. These teams provide mobile crisis and follow up support to clients in crisis in Maricopa County and surrounding areas. Michele has over 20 year experience in the field. She has worked as a Mobile Crisis Therapist, Suicide Prevention Hotline Specialist and Outpatient Therapist. Michele is a LMSW and received her Master's in Social Work from Arizona State University. Michele enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family.

Elizabeth Jimenez is an LPC and a Clinical Supervisor for the state of Arizona. She is currently the Manager of Crisis with La Frontera EMPACT and has been with the company for almost 7 years. She was born in El Paso, Texas and began her behavioral journey with families and children. Her background includes extensive case management experience working with individuals impacted by serious mental illness, and the ACT team. She has applied her counseling skills in providing individual and group counseling, crisis de-escalation, and she's passionate about providing trauma informed care. Elizabeth has held several positions across different settings to include outpatient clinics, domestic violence shelters, and in a state hospital. She is always eager to learn new skills and find ways to apply new modalities in the evolving world of mental health. When she's not working, she loves spending family time with her husband and two children. They have a dog named Archie and a salt water aquarium.

Det. Sabrina Taylor has been a police officer for 20 years. She served 5 years on the Los Angeles Police Department and 15 years with Phoenix Police Department. Sabrina has been a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) certified officer for 14 years and is currently assigned to the Phoenix Police Continuous Improvement Unit as the CIT coordinator. She is also the former 1st Vice President of CIT International and assists other agencies with their CIT programs. She serves as a subject matter expert law enforcement mental health training for the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board as well as for CIT International training programs. She is 1 of 7 authors of the CIT International Best Practice Guide and has her master’s degree in public administration.

Edward Curtis is a licensed social worker, receiving his Master of Social Work from Shippensburg University. He is a part-time therapist with Grief Relief, specializing in grief and trauma therapy and working with first responders. He is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) used in processing traumatic events.

Edward Curtis is a full time police officer with Lower Allen Police Department, Camp Hill, PA. He has served 20 years with the department beginning in 2003. In his current role, he is assigned to the patrol division answering calls for service and community relations. Edward also serves as a team member of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team and as a Peer Support officer. Previously, he worked as a Probation Officer with York County Probation. He has received multiple awards and recognitions for his service including the Harry Messick Community Service Award.

Lisa Zoll graduated with her MSW from Temple University, Harrisburg in 2003. Lisa’s experience includes 12 years as a Clinical Psychiatric Specialist at the Penn State University Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, working in the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program and Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic. In 2008, Lisa began teaching Loss & Grief as an Adjunct Instructor in the Master of Social Work at Temple University, Harrisburg. In 2014 she was appointed as a full-time faculty instructor where she taught courses across the curriculum until the closure of the program.

Her experience as a volunteer firefighter and EMT at Camp Hill Fire Department, Company 14 led her to become a trainer and volunteer for the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT) and to join with On the Job and Off's First Responder Assistance Program to provide mental health services to first responders.

Lisa founded “Grief Relief, LLC” in 2019 and specializes in helping clients challenged by loss, grief, and trauma. She has published several articles and has spoken on the local, state, and national level about loss and grief and how they can impact individuals, families, communities, and organizations. She completed EMDR training in January 2022."

Brian Curtis is a Lieutenant with the Mechanicsburg Police Department. Currently assigned as supervisor of three patrol sergeants, in charge of the criminal investigations division, and serves various administrative functions within the department. He is actively involved with the critical incident debriefing county team, peer support, the county special response team as a negotiator, the county crisis intervention team, serving as a CIT instructor, the county honor guard, and provides presentations within the Mechanicsburg Area School District, grades, K-12. Brian conducts numerous other presentations for the community on a multitude of subjects. He is certified through the Municipal Police Officers Training Commission providing numerous trainings for police officers, the local police academy and other county CIT teams. Brian is a recent graduate of the FBI National Academy session 288 and is currently working on his master’s degree through the University of Virginia.

Angie Plunkett has previously served as a Probation and Parole Officer, a local Treatment Court Administrator, a legislative assistant for the Missouri Senate, and the Statewide Treatment Court Coordinator for the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA). She is currently the Statewide Diversion Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Mental Health where she serves as the liaison for the courts, Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), Community Behavioral Health Liaisons, Behavioral Health Crisis Centers, and the JRI Crisis Response Work Group. Angie is also a member of the Treatment Courts Committee, the MO Association of Treatment Courts Professionals (MATCP) Board of Directors, and serves as a consultant for All Rise.

Sheriff Jason Klaus has worked with the Perry County Sheriff’s Office since September of 1996 and has served as a Jail Officer, Patrol Deputy, School Resource Officer, Detective, and Sheriff. Jason attended the Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Academy in the summer of 1996 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998. Jason is the former Statewide Missouri Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator and is currently the CIT Regional Coordinator for Southeast Missouri, responsible for expanding CIT and developing/maintaining relationships with community mental health and advocacy partners.

Jessica Michael, MSW, LISW-S is the Clinical Manager of Mobile Response & Stabilization Services (MRSS) and Telecrisis programs at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH. Jess began at NCH 9+ years ago after beginning her career as a supervisor for a crisis center in Franklin County, and then as an inpatient therapist at an adult psychiatric hospital. At NCH, Jess worked with the Outpatient Crisis Team prior to helping launch the Acute Crisis Response program, where she responded to violent/combative patients, worked the Franklin County Youth Psychiatric Crisis line, and trained de-escalation models delivered to staff. Prior to the launch of MRSS in 2022, Jess was a Clinical Educator for Acute Services, where she was instrumental in shaping crisis education for Behavioral Health and assisted with launches for several innovative programs, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), the Telecrisis Team (TCT), and MRSS. Throughout her time at NCH, Jess has also been teaching for several counties' CIT programs and currently serves on the CIT Steeling Committee for Franklin County, alongside ADAMH and Columbus Police. Jess is passionate about alternative response options and plans to continue her goal of enhanced collaboration between response teams in Central Ohio.

Michael Voorhis is the TRACT (Treatment Recovery Addiction Crisis Teams) Lieutenant with Columbus Police. Lt. Voorhis began his career December of 2005 and spent a majority of his career in patrol. During his time as a patrol officer, Lt. Voorhis obtained his Ohio Peace Officer Training Certification and teaches numerous topics at the Columbus Police Academy. Lt. Voorhis is a Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) instructor and has been conducting recruit and advanced training for this since 2015. Lt. Voorhis currently oversees the Columbus Police Therapy Dog Unit, the Rapid Response Emergency and Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT), and the Mobile Crisis Response (MCR). MCR is a team consisting of a police officer and a clinician who respond to mental health calls for service. Lt. Voorhis is also the CIT Coordinator for Franklin County, Ohio, and currently serves on several committees including the CIT Steeling Committee, the Crisis Continuum Call Centers / Mobile Response Committee, and the ADAMH Crisis Care Community Advisory Committee. Lt. Voorhis continues to work in collaboration with alternative response teams in Central Ohio to expand and enhance responses to mental health crisis in the community.

Nicole Pruss joined the Department of Justice in 2010. She has worked for the COPS Office since October 2020 as a Social Science Analyst. Nicole focuses on crisis intervention and officer safety and wellness. She is also interested in officer recruitment and retention. Before she came to the COPS Office, she worked at the Bureau of Prisons constructing staff and inmate surveys. Nicole also reviewed research proposals and designed program evaluations. She completed her higher education in Texas - first, at Trinity University in San Antonio, and then at The University of Texas in El Paso. Nicole earned her PhD in Legal Psychology from UTEP by conducting original research on eyewitness interviews with interpreters and lineup instructions.

Chief Matos has more than 26 years of police experience beginning with the Fairfax County Police Department and as Director of the Campus Public Safety Institute in Washington, D.C.

During his tenure at the Campus Public Safety Institute, he broadened the Academy’s instruction to include 21st Century Policing topics such as de-escalation models, the guardian mentality, and compassionate and empathetic service to the community.

In addition to his broad array of law enforcement experiences, he was selected for and completed the University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute, 141st Administrative Officers’ Course for Executives, and completed a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma. He has worked with the Georgetown University Law Center’s Innovative Policing Program and was a seven-year member of IACP’s International Leadership Instructor’s Program, instructing in Saudi Arabia, Canada, the Carribean, and across the United States. Chief Matos completed the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police’s, Institute for Leadership in Changing Times and their esteemed Professional Executive Leadership School. Chief Matos is committed to maintaining and enhancing department relationships with students, faculty and staff, and the greater community at-large."

Chief Sneed has more than 40 years of experience, including as a former police officer in Austin and San Marcos. He also served as a Special Agent with the National Insurance Crime Bureau and as Director of Internal Affairs, Office of the Inspector General with Texas Health and Human Services. Chief Sneed has been with Austin ISD Police Department for the past 10 years, most recently leading the mental health and community engagement unit. He also teaches law enforcement at Texas State University.

Mark Anderson is Executive Director of the Barbara Schneider Foundation, an organization named for a woman who was tragically killed by responding officers in the year 2000 in her own home when she was in mental health crisis. The Foundation works with police, jails, hospitals, social workers, educators and community members to improve the response to individuals who are in mental health crisis. He was a policy aide to U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone for 12 years on all his mental health, health care and human rights reform initiatives in the US Senate and has been the founding Executive Director of the Barbara Schneider Foundation since 2002.

LeMoine LaPointe is a member of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, a Titunwan sub-division of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires). The living legacy of his Indigenous people enlivens his more than 40 years of engagement-centered facilitation and leadership of at-risk-youth and adults in culturally-exclusive and multi-cultural settings, from geographically isolated tribal communities to ethnically diverse inner-city neighborhoods. LeMoine’s infusion of indigenous culture and contemporary adventure-based practice in his consultant work restores the extraordinary in a field too often saturated with ordinary experiences. His integration of environmental, nature-based, and wilderness-centered experience offers a fresh approach to organizational and community engagement. He formerly chaired the boards of the Two Feathers Foundation, American Indian OIC, and AIM Interpretive Center in Minneapolis, MN. He is the Founder Emeritus of the Tiwahe Foundation and a member of the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis. He is the Project/Process Facilitator of the Barbara Schneider Foundation’s ‘Indigenizing Crisis Intervention Teams in Indian Country” national initiative.

After Doc Davis served with the United States Navy as a corpsman with E company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, he spent 20 yrs in law enforcement. He retired as a Sgt from the Boynton Beach, FL Police, where he commanded their hostage negotiation and CISM teams. He also holds a PhD in psychology, focusing on negotiation, stress management, and autism. A former college professor, Dr. Davis now focuses on providing training to law enforcement professionals.

Dr. Polly Westcott is a clinical psychologist with post-doctoral training in neuropsychology and forensics. She is a nationally known legal consultant for criminal and civil cases involving brain based and psychological disorders wherein she testifies on issues regarding damages, competency, insanity, and the impact of neurologic and psychological factors inherent in injury and criminal behavior. In her clinical practice, she helps to distinguish between normal aging, mood disorders, and various forms of neurologic disease including dementia. Employing her neuropsychology background, she works with aging professionals as well as caregivers and families of those affected by dementia, to develop compensatory skills and strategize to improve communication and function. She worked as the consulting psychologist for the Indiana State Police for 12 years and continues to participate in education during various central Indiana CIT programs. She has authored various articles on traumatic brain injury and dementia over the years and, in 2012, was awarded outstanding contribution to the field of psychology by the Indiana Psychological Association.

Janice is the founder of Tri-State Canine Response Team, a non-profit organization started in 2015. Janice has been passionate about this organization which is devoted to providing certified trained handler/dog teams for animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted crisis response teams. Janice and her organization provide support, aid, and comfort to 1st responders, victims of disaster, catastrophes, and violence throughout the county.

Janice's work experience includes 16yrs as founder of Major Medical Hospital Service Inc, 20yrs as an employee of the Mental Health Association Southwestern NJ, and 2yrs as an animal vet technician.

Janice holds certificates as a therapy dog prep instructor, therapy dog tester and observer for a national organization, evaluator for AKC-CGC, AKC-CGCU, and is a certified tester for CIT-NJ’s Crisis Canine Response Team (CCRT) allowing national deployment certification status. Janice is also a graduate of CIT-NJ, Psychological First Aid, National Incident Management System (NIMS 700) /Incident Command System (ICS 100), Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth), Question Persuade & Refer Instructor (QPR), Disaster Response Crisis Counselor and is a Lead Team member for the Traumatic Loss Coalition in several NJ counties. Janice has over 10 national deployments and 2,000 + local call-outs with her canine partners."

Pamela L. Bolden earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA and a Masters in Educational Theory from Rutgers University in Camden, NJ. After teaching elementary school in Camden for fourteen years, she served as a vice principal at Edgewood Junior High in Atco, NJ and Eastern High School in Voorhees, NJ for another twenty years.

Pam was introduced to Tri-State and its mission almost 4 years ago. She currently serves as a member of the steering committee and the group’s school liaison. She is an active member of the deployment team and enjoys collaborating with schools, social clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts, and community groups to support and promote the Tri-State mission. Pam is certified in CIT-NJ, QPR, a suicide awareness gatekeeper program and a member of the Camden and Gloucester County Traumatic Loss Coalition."

Marge served as a School Psychologist and Educational Supervisor with Camden City Public School District. In that capacity, she worked with students and parents providing direct educational psychological services as well as mentoring other team members on special education compliance issues. As a supervisor, she oversaw child study teams and speech pathologists as they provided mandated services.

Marge has taken numerous courses to advance her skill set including CIT-NJ, Psychological First Aid, National Incident Management System (NIMS 700) /Incident Command System (ICS 100), Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth) as well as various other related courses. She is certified as a Disaster Response Crisis Counselor and is a Lead Team member for the Traumatic Loss Coalition of Gloucester, Camden and Burlington, NJ counties.

Marge is a certified Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) instructor through the QPR Institute. In that capacity, she has instructed professionals in various fields including law enforcement, mental health, heath care, education, and various other fields. Having provided crisis response services through Tri-State Canine Response Team, this gives her the opportunity to be proactive and help prevent suicides rather than only responding after a tragedy."

Ms. Nicole Gallagher, LISW-S began her career of working with people in crisis as a paramedic in Southwestern PA. She later decided to take on the challenge of getting a MSW, with a first job as a Crisis Stabilization Specialist for Community Mental Health of Central Michigan. She later relocated to Cleveland, working for Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System as a case manager until finding her home in suicide prevention. She has now moved back to the Pittsburgh area to continue working in suicide prevention, but is now focused on community based intervention in suicide prevention.

Lieutenant Jennifer Brown began her career as a patrol officer with the Veterans Affairs Police Department in Big Spring, Texas in 2017 remaining there until her transfer to VA Pittsburgh in 2019. In her short time with the Veterans Affairs Police Department, she has worked her way up from patrol operation officer to sergeant and is now lieutenant. She was the first to suggest VA Pittsburgh provide training to officers, which led to the development of the VAPHS CIT program and is now the coordinator. Her vision is to start a Veterans Response Team with outside law enforcement to better engage with our Veteran population in the community complete with a warm handoff when coming for care. Prior to joining the Veterans Affairs Police Department, she worked corrections and Georgia Port Police. She is a Veteran of the U.S. Navy having served 6 years active duty, including two years as a Machinist Mate and four years as a Master at Arms. Lt. Brown thrives on helping Veterans every day.

Jamie Wehmeyer's professional journey centers on understanding and addressing trauma in the behavioral health field, a commitment deepened after the tragic loss of her son, Jake, in 2017. As the Clinical Director for The Battle Within, a non-profit supporting Veterans, First Responders, and Frontline Medical Staff, Jamie leads efforts to mitigate the effects of their traumatic experiences. With over 25 years in community mental health management and licensure as a Clinical Social Worker, Jamie advocates fervently for trauma-informed care and resilience. Her personal experience with trauma fuels her dedication to promoting these practices on a broader scale. As a TEDx speaker, Jamie shares insights on reframing traumatic loss, showcasing her commitment to inspire and educate. With a Master's in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Kansas, her qualifications underpin her advocacy for embracing trauma-informed approaches. Jamie's ultimate goal is to honor her son's memory by advocating for compassionate support, promoting kindness, and advancing trauma-informed care within diverse communities and organizations.

Officer Stephen Voss has been a police officer at the Anaheim Police Department since 2004. While working in the patrol division, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and focused his studies on the interaction between police and the mental health system. When a retirement in 2014 left an opening in the mental health unit, Officer Voss jumped at the opportunity. Since then, he has responded to thousands of mental health crises and engaged the community to share his experiences at every opportunity.

Officer Mathew Beck has been a police officer at the Anaheim Police Department since 2004. He served the Community Policing Team in 2013, when he was tasked with assisting in the creation of a new full-time mental health unit of the police department. Through a combination of research and trial-and-error, Officer Beck guided the unit toward being an effective resource for patrol officers responding to mental health crises. Officer Beck provides a boots on the ground perspective of mental health crisis response from what remains the only fully staffed full-time psychiatric emergency response unit in Orange County. Officer Beck has taught at Meeting of the Minds, OC, NAMI, and provided instruction in Anaheim’s Peace Officer Standards and Training certified Homeless Outreach Team class.

Graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2010 with a BS in Recreation Management with a focus in Therapeutic Recreation. Practiced as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist in Residential Treatment, State Prison, and Psychiatric Hospitals before returning to Graduate School at Alabama A&M University to earn a master's degree in counseling psychology in 2016. Has helped develop new programming at different stations of mental health treatment interventions. Her passion lies at the intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Illness. Ms. Anderson currently works with the Decatur Alabama Police Department as their Mental Health Liaison, Mental Health Officer, and CIT Coordinator. She's been a civilian employee with the department since November of 2021 working diligently to help bring CIT to her area and help the CIT Champions throughout Alabama.

Ryan is the director of social services for Connections Montana where he has led the mobile crisis response team since December 2022. Ryan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and a Certified Mental Health Professional Person in Montana whose career has been driven by his passion for helping those experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Prior to joining Connections, Ryan worked as the Crisis Intervention Specialist (CIS) Supervisor at Bozeman Health and the Service Line Director of Crisis at Western Montana Mental Health Center.

Ryan has assisted and led the launch of several co-responder programs in several states across his decade-long career including establishing a pilot Co-Responder Program in Larimer County, Colorado, and the first Co-Responder programs in Gallatin County and Flathead County, Montana."

Erin is a Sergeant with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office in Montana and has been the CIT Coordinator for the past three years. He serves as a community liaison representing both law enforcement and other community partnerships to the citizens. He maintains continuous working relationships with all community organizations, with specific emphasis on mental health and advocacy partnerships. Erin is also responsible for running the 40-hour CIT training academy and ongoing in-service training. Collateral duties include: Peer Support Team Coordinator, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Firearms Instructor, and Search and Rescue Coordinator.

Jessica joined the team at the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice in July 2021. Before joining CBHJ, Jessica served as a research assistant at the Center for Urban Studies, also at Wayne State University. In this role, Jessica co-supervised the domestic violence advocacy team, and she was the analyst for the Detroit city-wide youth CompStat meetings. From 2017-2018 Jessica served as a Pinkerton Graduate Fellow with The Bronx Defenders, where she provided holistic advocacy and case management to court-involved youth. Jessica also worked with the NYC Criminal Justice Agency, as one of the first Youth Engagement Coordinators. This position was created to implement innovative strategies to divert youth from unnecessary pretrial detention. Jessica is currently enrolled in Wayne State University’s MSW program.

Kaitlyn joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice in May of 2021. She graduated with her BS in Psychology, minoring in Public Health, from Wayne State University in 2020. Currently, she is working towards her MSW at Wayne State University, concentrating on Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership. With a rich experience in best-practice implementation to behavioral health systems and criminal/legal systems across the state of Michigan, Kaitlyn is eager to continue pursuing her career in social work research. She is passionate about crisis response and harm reduction policy change and model development.

Raven joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice as a Program Assistant in March 2023. She graduated from Tiffin University in May 2020 with her Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. Prior to joining the CBHJ, Raven worked in the clinical field as a counselor for runaway and homeless youth then moving into the role of clinical outpatient therapist for those suffering from substance use and co-occurring disorders. During her academic career, Raven completed two semester long research projects that sparked her now driven passion for policy reform and social change. Since working in her field, Raven began to develop her passion for working towards social reforms in hopes to aid in systemic changes in both the criminal and social justice systems through research and application.

Leonard serves as manager for the crisis policy initiative at the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice. He leads grants and projects focused on crisis reimbursement structures, crisis program model fidelity, and system-level performance metrics. Leonard joined the CBHJ team in February 2017 while completing his master's in social work at Wayne State University. His interest in macro social work led him to the confluence of broken mental health and criminal justice systems, which became too convoluted and captivating to ignore. His contributions to the work of the CBHJ include the development of the SIMPLE Scorecard (Sequential Intercept Model Practices, Leadership, and Expertise) to assess behavioral health and justice systems and the creation of the PROACT model (Proactive Response to Overdose and Appropriate Connections to Treatment) in collaboration with emergency medical services and behavioral health agencies to facilitate post-overdose response programs across Michigan. Leonard has presented his work at the Society for Social Work Research, the CIT International Conference, and various local Michigan behavioral health and justice conferences.

Maria Spetalnik is a Board Certified Professional Organizer (CPO®) with over 30 years of experience helping others to establish control of their lives by helping them control their clutter. Her company, Conquer the Clutter, employs a team of organizers using a holistic, harm reduction approach with clients. She works with other professionals to help her clients work past the physical, mental and emotional causes of the clutter. Maria has taught classes internationally about Chronic Disorganization and Hoarding to the FBI, Police Officers, Sheriffs, Adult Protective Services, Code Compliance Officers, Fire Marshalls, Animal Control Officers, EMT’s, Social Services Departments, Therapists, and others. She has worked with many of these professionals on her client’s behalf. Maria has been a Volunteer in Police Service (VIPS) for 15 years and a member of the Fairfax County Interagency Hoarding Committee 10+ years. Her book: Hoarding for Law Enforcement and Other Public Officials – 2nd ed is a guide for public officials on how to navigate in a world that can be overwhelming for the unprepared. Her newest book: A Practical Guide to Hoarding for Friends and Family is for those that know the person who's hoarding and want simple, clear ways to help.

Lori Wood is Senior Director of Emergency and Short-term Stabilization at Region Ten CSB in Virginia. She is a graduate of Emory & Henry College and the University of Virginia and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has been with the Thomas Jefferson Area CIT program since its inception, and has supported development and implementation of CIT programs throughout Virginia. She is trained in hostage negotiation and Critical Incident Stress Management. She conducts trainings on crisis management, risk assessment, stress management, adolescent crisis intervention, program development, and suicide. She teaches law enforcement in-services, CIT and train the trainer classes for over 15 years. She is a “founding mothers” of the Lock and Talk Virginia Suicide Prevention program, as well as a founding member and inaugural Chair of the Suicide Prevention & Awareness Resource Council (SPARC). Lori received a mentorship award from the Central Virginia Lynchburg CIT program, was the 2010 recipient of the CIT Mental Health Advocate Award, the 2017 CIT International Behavioral Healthcare Professional of the Year, and the 2018 Virginia CIT Behavioral Healthcare Professional of the Year. In 2019, she received the John L Snook Child Advocate Award, and she is the proud mother of 4 children.

Kelly Royston is currently the CIT Coordinator for Thomas-Jefferson Area CIT program in Charlottesville, Virginia. Kelly Royston was previously the CIT Coordinator for the Rockingham- Harrisonburg CIT program for over 6 years. Kelly currently oversees all CIT trainings, and the Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center (CITAC). For thirteen years prior to accepting the position Kelly Royston worked in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (ECC) as a Master Communicator and Senior Communicator. Kelly received her Bachelor‘s degree from Eastern Mennonite University in 2001, with a major in Liberal Arts and a minor in Political Science.

Kelly is proactive in teaching public safety personnel about mental health and educating communities about mental health. Kelly is a strong believer that mental health is a growing issue and needs to be addressed in all areas of public safety."

Michael began his law enforcement career as a dispatcher in 1993 in Christiansburg, VA. In 1994, he began working at the University of Virginia Police Department in Charlottesville, VA.; In 2003, Michael joined the Albemarle County Police Department where he is still employed as a Senior Detective in Criminal Investigations, and serves as the Assistant Team Leader of the Crisis Negotiations Team, and a Task Force Officer with the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Michael has received specialized training in Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Hostage Negotiations from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Motorcycle Police Officer from the Maryland State Police. Michael received his CIT Training in 2008 and has served as a lead instructor for the Thomas Jefferson Area CIT and as a CIT Consultant for programs throughout the country. Michael has led multiple Train The Trainers and has assisted in training thousands of law enforcement and other professionals in the Memphis Model of CIT. He received the Thomas Jefferson Area CIT Officer of the Year in 2010, the Lynchburg – Central Virginia CIT Mentorship Award in 2011, and in 2018, he won the Virginia CIT Trainer of the Year Award

Susie earned her Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from City University of Seattle. She is an alum of the University of Washington having earned Bachelor's degrees in Speech Communication and Zoology with a Marine Emphasis in 2001. Susie started as a Clinician with a local community behavioral health agency. While employed with that agency, she promoted to Clinic Manager, Regional Operations Director, and Division Director overseeing the day-to-day operations of six outpatient behavioral health clinics in King County. She is the Co-Response Program Manager and MHP for the King County Sheriff’s Office’s Therapeutic Response Unit (TRU). She is also a crisis/hostage negotiator for KCSO’s Crisis Negotiation Team. Susie was the founding Mental Health Professional for the Law Enforcement and Mental Health Professional Co-Response Programs in Shoreline, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Redmond, and Duvall PDs. She is a national educator on Crisis & De-Escalation, Mental Health, and Crisis Negotiation. She instructs at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and is the Mental Health Advisor for Crisis Systems Management. She volunteers yearly at the Seattle King County Clinic as the Crisis Response Director. More importantly, she is the fur-mom to two rescued kittens and a clownish Umbrella Cockatoo.

Sergeant Robert McKeirnan started his career with the Olathe, Kansas Police Department in 2009. He has worked with the Field Training Program, the Explorers, Peer Support and CIT Unit. He began working with Co-Responders early in his career and saw the impact they made on calls for service. He has worked with them to institute mental health diversion at the Olathe Municipal Court, develop and teach courses to mental health professionals about law enforcement (Cop Culture), expand the scope of the co-responder program and develop the Advanced Crisis-Intervention Team (ACT) as a new unit at the department. The unit pairs CIT Officers and Co-Responders for primary response to law enforcement related behavioral health emergencies, follow-up, trauma outreach, and advanced problem solving for complex cases. Robert serves as Olathe’s CIT Coordinator, a board member of the Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council, and as the Treasurer for the International Co-Responder Alliance.

Jessica Murphy, LMSW, got her start in the mental health field in 2006 and started at Johnson County Mental Health Center in 2007. Jessica became the team leader for the Johnson County Co-Responder program in 2017 and currently supervises eight programs with 13 different agencies as a Deputy Division Director of Emergency Services. She has helped three programs start-up, expanded four others, and launched the first school co-responder in Johnson County. While leading the Johnson County Co-Responder program, it received the “Excellence in Community Service” award from the United Community Services of Johnson County, KS in 2017.

Jessica is the Board Chair of the International Co-Responder Alliance, which she helped start after launching the National Co-Responder Conference in 2020. She also serves as a Board Member for the Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council."

Thomas von Hemert was the CIT Coordinator for the Thomas Jefferson Area CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) for the last 18 years, the largest CIT program in Virginia. Tom and his Team trained over 3,000 First Responders (police officers, sheriff deputies, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, magistrates, firefighters/medics, probation officers and prosecutors) in CIT. He trained and mentored the development of many new CIT programs throughout Virginia and the United States.

Tom graduated from Boston University with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance. Tom worked as a Research Assistant Intern in the House of Parliament in London, England.

Tom has received the Virginia CIT Coordinator of the Year Award and the Virginia CIT Program of the Year Award. Tom was a guest speaker on the National Public Radio (NPR) Diane Rehm Show on the subject of mental illness and the criminal justice system. Tom was a member of the Virginia State CIT Coalition Board as Vice President and was also President of the CIT International Board. In 2023 Tom received the CIT Coordinator of the Year Award from CIT International. Tom now works for the University of Virginia Police Department as the Crisis Intervention Specialist."

Susan is the Founder/CEO of Let’s Build IT – a leadership development, consultation and training company, a DISC trainer and consultant with John Maxwell Leadership and Rhode Island CIT trainer and academy facilitator. Susan is committed to inspiring, equipping, and aiding first responders with personal and professional growth. During her 20-year career as a municipal Police Officer she learned the value of communication, empathy and servant leadership. After the tragedy in Sandy Hook, Susan felt compelled to get involved in a variety of Behavioral Health and Justice System reform efforts. Susan believes the people closest to a problem are essential to informing and developing solutions. She is committed to helping individuals, agencies and organizations build sustainable change-making community partnerships. Susan delivers high-energy thought-provoking content filled with passion and entertaining stories. Susan holds a Master of Science degree in Social Work, a Master of Arts degree in Women’s Studies and undergraduate degrees in Sociology, Psychology and Criminal Justice. Susan is the mother of two adult daughters.

Jeremy Brewer spent 27 years working as a first responder. He began his journey in the mid 90’s working as an EMT for a professional ambulance service. Shortly after 9/11 he transitioned into law enforcement. The entirety of Brewer’s career was “boots on the ground”. He attributes that time with the community to what’s shaped him as a person today. Brewer was one of the first officers at his department trained in CIT. Being exposed to CIT had a huge impact on his career. He took that knowledge, experience and passion and created a new position within his department called “Crisis Services Liaison Officer”. In that position, he was the first responding officer to calls for mental health emergencies, follow up collaborations with outreach teams and overall community engagement. Brewer has been a trainer in the areas of crisis intervention, grief notifications and human interaction. Brewer’s engaging style earned him a speaker selection for TED Conferences in 2020. He’s currently a speaker coach for TEDxHartford. He retired from policing in July of 2023. He’s currently using the skills he’s developed training first responders and working in the private sector.

Dr. William Enochs is a forensic psychiatrist in the Kansas City region. He is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine and specializes in treating first responders. Having been a Firefighter and EMT before going to medical school, Dr. Enochs possesses both a passion for, and a unique understanding of, treating first responders. He is a clinical psychiatrist and medical director for Brightli Medical Group in Missouri. His practice has a dedicated pathway for first responders and their families. Dr. Enochs has been involved in teaching and leadership of CIT since 2015. He is also heavily involved in the First Responder Provider Network and currently serves as Board Chair for the Organization.

Jeremy Romo is a Captain with the St. Louis County, Missouri Police Department where he has served since 1999. He has held numerous positions within the department including patrol officer, member of the tactical operations unit, patrol sergeant, supervisor of the crisis intervention team unit, patrol watch commander, deputy commander of the bureau of tactical support and commander of the criminal intelligence unit. He is currently the Commander of the Bureau of Communications.

Jeremy has been involved in CIT leadership in Missouri since 2012. From 2013 to 2018 Jeremy supervised the St. Louis County PD CIT and previously served as the Missouri State Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator.

Jeremy is a National Trainer for Mental Health First Aid Program. He conducts trainings and has presented at conferences throughout the United States on de-escalation, how to properly respond to individuals in behavioral health crisis and first responder wellness.

Jeremy was the recipient of a 2013 John J. McAtee Police Recognition Award, 2014 St. Louis County Crisis Intervention Team Leadership Award, 2016 CIT International Coordinator of the Year Award, 2016 Southeast Missouri CIT Appreciation Award, a 2018 John J. McAtee Police Recognition Award and a 2023 Dr. Rick Gowdy Legacy Award."

Cory Sutton is a retired police officer and father of twin girls with a developmental disability, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS). Cory worked for the OU Police Department in Norman, OK for 17 years. This book-ended around 8 years with the Norman Police Department. Cory and his wife Traci Sutton developed a course for interactions with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and he has been teaching it across the state since 2011. Cory now works for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program director and Law Enforcement Trainer. Cory has taught over 3,000 officers in autism, and over 1,000 in CIT.

Heather Mulder is the Associate Director of Outreach for the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. In her work, she has always been passionate about innovatively reaching underserved populations. After graduating with a BS in Music from Illinois State University, the common thread throughout her career has been working with older adults, first in long term care, next with an Area Agency on Aging and finally as an educator for the Alzheimer’s Association- Greater Illinois Chapter. At BAI, Heather co-hosts the award-winning Dementia Untangled podcast, edits the prestigious Beacon newsletter, guides the longstanding Native American Outreach program, and oversees the creation of education which speaks to people living with dementia and caregivers in a language they understand and a medium that is comfortable. In both Arizona and Illinois, Heather has been involved in training first responders through both general and CIT training programs sharing strategies and resources to equip those responding to persons with dementia.

Tracey Wilkinson has been employed by the Scottsdale Police Department as a Crisis Intervention Specialist for more than 25 years. She is the Supervisor of the Scottsdale Police Crisis Intervention Services program. The program's staff primary responsibilities include responding to Police Officer, community member, and social service agency requests for behavioral health and victimization services. Tracey is also the Coordinator for the Scottsdale Police Department's Crisis Intervention Team and a partner in the East Valley's CIT Program Collaboration. Professionally, Tracey has worked with individuals experiencing memory loss when they have interacted with public safety personnel, and she has provided support and information to care partners. Tracey has co-presented on the topic of Dementia and the Public Safety Response with Heather Mulder from the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute at the Arizona State University’s Winter & Summer Institutes for First Responder & Behavioral Health Cross Training, CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) International Conferences, and Arizona’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference. Dementia has touched Tracey's life personally, having lost a sister to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and ALS.

Kerry Mensior is the Executive Director of IDEA – the International De-Escalation Association. His highly interactive & engaging courses show you how to quickly develop rapport, effectively De-Escalate, Communicate and Negotiate in all situations, including with people in emotional turmoil and those in mental health crisis.

A 30-year law enforcement veteran, Kerry is the consummate First Responder. He spent 9 years in the US Navy Submarine Service, is a former Firefighter, current EMT and retired as a Police Sergeant from the San Diego Police Department. An international speaker, college professor and best-selling author, Kerry is well recognized for his expertise in Brain-centric Instructional Design, neuroscience research, as well as communication and leadership skills.

Kerry teaches you skills that are easy to understand, easy to remember and even easier to implement!"

Leo Petrilli was trapped in an addiction for over four decades, and has been substance free since 2011. He just retired from working in the trenches at the Addiction Recovery Home, where he went for his own recovery.

Today, he is a virtual Train The Trainer for the First Responder Program with The Addictions Academy. And he is also a virtual Personal Growth Coach, with the Wellness Coach organization, a Nationally and Internationally Certified Recovery Coach, and an Intervention Professional."

Mike Alexander is a renowned expert in ethics, integrity, and leadership development, honing his expertise during a distinguished 41-year career in law enforcement. Following his retirement, he continued to impact the field through various national platforms and institutes, including the U.S. Department of Justice Community Policing Divisions, where he trained officers and community members on leadership, ethics, and integrity. In 1999, he founded the LION Leadership Institute, offering workshops focused on leadership engagement, psychological safety, and healthy work environments. Currently he is serving as an adjunct professor and consultant at Austin Community College. Beginning as a Correctional Officer and Deputy Sheriff, Mike's career culminated with a 25-year tenure at the Austin Police Department, where he retired as a sergeant in 2009. His notable roles included Patrol Corporal and Sergeant, and District Representative, where he developed strategies to address crime effectively. With a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in Organizational Development and leadership, Mike holds numerous certifications and affiliations in law enforcement and leadership development. He is a trusted figure in management, having served as Interim Police Chief and City Manager in multiple Texas municipalities. Mike is a certified marriage SYMBIS Assessor, mentor, and Enneagram Personality Practitioner.

Laura Nechanicky-Booth, MS, LMFT, CEC is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Crisis Trainer, and Leading Certified Enneagram Coach. She specializes in life, marriage, and leadership coaching and is passionate about helping her clients build deeper relationships through the power of the Enneagram. She has worked closely with individuals, couples, veterans, first responders, and their families alike. In her more than 20 years of practice, she has done this work in many capacities such as clinical treatment director, private therapist and coach, an embedded provider with the National Guard, a certified trainer in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), a nationally known, police-based, first responder program. She has been involved in numerous collaborative task forces to improve organizational systems within communities, public services, hospitals, and mental health providers. She worked at the Veterans Treatment Court in St. Louis County, a collaborative program designed to assist veterans in the criminal justice system get treatment, following recommendations, and ensuring they meet their obligations to themselves, the court, and their community. Currently, Laura provides individual and couples coaching, leadership workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats. She strives to build better connections within businesses, organizations, and marriages through self-awareness, resilience, and leadership skills.

Dr. Hopp is originally from Indianapolis and went to the University of Evansville for her undergraduate degree and Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine for her medical doctorate degree. She completed her psychiatric residency at Community Health Network in Indianapolis and continues to work at Community Health Network as an inpatient Psychiatrist and as a physician informaticist.

Dr. Sarah Heming is originally from Northwest Indiana where she attended Purdue University Northwest for undergraduate studies. Dr. Heming graduated from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed a residency in the field of psychiatry at Community Health Network in Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Heming has accepted a core faculty position within the residency as an inpatient psychiatrist.

Sarah is a semi-retired occupational therapist/Mental Health Worker with the Hamilton COAST program, a police/mental health program, for the past 23 years. She has developed and implemented 100's of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) courses for Hamilton Police Service and police services across the province of Ontario.

Sarah is an amateur author of a murder-mystery novel, “Chailey’s Daze”."

Kelly Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator for the Yurok Tribal Police Department. She is responsible for coordinating CIT in both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in far northern California. She started her career in mental health in 2007 and has worked in community mental health agencies in five different California counties. She has worked in the roles of Clinician, Supervising Clinician, and Program Manager in several crisis programs including a Co-Response Team. She has been the lead CIT Coordinator for Humboldt County since 2017 and started a new CIT Program in Del Norte County in 2023.

Lisa Rose Sanderson, a proud descendant of the Tolowa, Karuk, Hupa, and Yurok Tribes, is a compassionate crisis responder with extensive experience leading initiatives to combat youth opioid abuse and support crime victims. She has developed training and spearheaded projects such as developing and coordinating services regarding elder abuse, aWhijetilte, and "My spirit is Strong"—Safety Planning in Indian Country, contributing to the well-being of tribal communities.

Jayme Lewallen is a Law Enforcement Officer with the Yurok Tribal Police Department. She knows how important it is to treat everyone with respect and dignity. Officer Lewallen was driven to pursue law enforcement from her passion for helping people during life-altering times and to be the change in the criminal justice system she wanted to see. She’s been working in law enforcement for 7 years, 5 in Corrections and 2 on patrol. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Justice Studies at Humboldt State University. In her time in law enforcement, she has worked in the Humboldt County jail as a Correctional Officer. While she worked in the Humboldt County Jail Officer Lewallen, became a member of the Crisis Intervention Team and helped in the Jail Based Competency Treatment Program. Officer Lewallen transitioned from Corrections to Patrol by going through the College of the Redwoods’ 23-week Police Academy. She took her previously learned skills and newly learned training and was hired as a police Officer for the Yurok Tribal Police Department. Now Officer Lewallen helps with the Del Norte County CIT program and is a Trauma Informed Police Instructor. Officer Lewallen loves learning about the Yurok Culture.  She enjoys playing her saxophone, spending time with her Pets, and hiking around Humboldt County in her free time.