Mental illness is not a crime. This Coalition understands the value to public safety, to outcomes and to treatment for people when behavioral health and criminal justice work together.

I am honored to serve on the Justice and Mental Health Coalition Advisory Council. This team represents a truly collaborative effort to serve justice-involved individuals when and how they need it the most. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to look at ways we can help all those with mental health challenges in our community and truly make a positive impact for them and in their lives.

The Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition is very important to Yavapai College and my Agency. The Coalition brings structure and guidance to the responsibility we have as Educators and Police within Higher Education. As a Community College we have a responsibility to the students, staff and faculty to provide the best assistance we can to those who find themselves in crisis.

As a board member of the Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition, I serve as the community volunteer assisting families of people with mental health and/or substance abuse disorders who have been involved in our justice system.  By providing alternative solutions and support while assisting them as they navigate their way through unfamiliar territory, families have a better chance to stay together and enjoy healthier lives while contributing to our community.  When we invest in each other, we are all enriched, and our community is a safer, healthier place.

I am honored to serve on the Justice & Mental Health Coalition Advisory Council.  I am excited to help implement evidence-based practices, data-based evaluations, and provide access to care for justice-involved individuals. Mental illness is not a crime. This Coalition understands the value of treatment diverted outcomes for justice-involved individuals. Yavapai County’s mentally ill, a population in desperate need of more services and options, will benefit from the work of this Coalition. 

The Justice and Mental Health Coalition is important to Community Health Services because people’s capacity for overall positive health is often interrelated with their mental or behavioral health.  Those suffering from mental or behavioral health issues and frequenting our justice system see poorer health outcomes than those who do not.  We understand the importance of looking at the whole person when it comes to health improvement, and by addressing underlying mental health issues and providing resources that help keep people out of our justice system, Yavapai County residents will experience better health and better quality of life!

This Coalition provides the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of individuals, families, and the community.  A bad day or decision does not have to be the trigger for a lifetime of pain and hardship, but instead, the life-changing event that set that person on a course for recovery.  Compassion and connection leads to that recovery and a partnership between law enforcement and the behavioral health community sets the stage.

Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition is the quintessence of collaboration. The revolutionary accomplishments being attained through the multiple disciplines altruistically working together is something I have not witnessed in my 40 plus years of law enforcement. Being a part of something that benefits society to this extent is very rewarding.

I believe that everyone deserves to feel well.  Through the work of the coalition, we can help ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community receive the support and services they need; elevating the community for all.

Serving on the Board of the Justice and Mental Health Coalition is an opportunity to create solutions for challenging issues surrounding the decriminalization and treatment of mental illness.   This collaboration of community agencies is creating new paths toward better health for those with mental illness who are caught up in the justice system or for those who are unable to seek treatment for themselves. 

I strongly believe that a key to a community’s success is its ability to deliver care to those most in need. Mental health needs have touched so many families through Yavapai County.  People in need of mental health support have been overlooked or neglected for too long, and the leaders, who are serving with the Coalition, have the desire and power to bring positive, lasting change.

I have worked in the behavioral health/mental health field for over 20 years, and have always been inspired by the journeys that some experience.  My passion has been in assisting in preventive services to assist the children in our communities before they get a place of needing intervention and creating individualized wraparound plans for the children and families with acute situations to remain in their homes and community.

As a board member of the Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition, I believe it is my role to assist with raising awareness in the community and the justice system around the struggles and challenges faced by those with mental health issues and their families.  The justice system should be the last option for those with mental health issues. Our community, stakeholders, and justice partners working together are capable of significant positive changes to provide the appropriate opportunities for these individuals and families to avoid justice involvement.

I am honored to serve on the Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition. I have worked in the juvenile justice field for over 20 years and have seen the impact mental health needs have had on our youth and families. As the Director of Juvenile Court Services, I have a responsibility to help ensure youth are provided with appropriate services and that their needs are being fully addressed. I strongly believe the coalition’s ongoing collaboration will assist our community in obtaining the suitable resources needed to build and strengthen healthy families.   

I am driven by the conviction that every individual deserves to lead a healthy, vibrant life and have made it my mission to mobilize efforts for systemic change; change that embraces lived experience, values inclusion, fairness, and diversity, and strives to build stronger, safer communities.