New behavioral health training for justice professionals

A full day of behavioral health training for judges, prosecutors, public defenders, private attorneys, clerks and guardians.

“Going over some of the signs and symptoms of mental health and someone who’s in crisis,” said Lieutenant Leslie Weidenhammer with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Mental Health Bureau. “Going over addiction, going over trauma, because we know most of our folks have gone through trauma and that has to be addressed.”

The Collier Coalition for Healthy Minds launched a new behavioral health training for justice professionals. The 8-hour course educates people on the causes and treatment of behavioral health disorders.

“If we’re understanding what we’re seeing, and if we’re responding to that appropriately, then we can get better outcomes,” said Judge Janeice Martin, a county court judge in Collier County.

She said the goal is to improve the effectiveness of the justice system’s response to people experiencing serious mental illness or substance use dependence.

“We have to understand what’s driving it, and then we can craft appropriate responses and overall get better outcomes. That saves money, that improves public safety, and again I think increases the public’s confidence in what we do here in the courthouse.”

Lieutenant Leslie Weidenhammer said the training will help everyone.

“It’s been a game-changer because these folks that are out there, that we’re intersecting with, all of them have families, they have children, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and knowing that they’re not getting better in the justice system.”

There hasn’t been training like this, specifically for members of the justice system, in over ten years. There was a waiting list, and some had to be turned away, but they plan on having more sessions through next year.