Collier County justice professionals receive new behavioral health training

Collier Coalition for Healthy Minds completed the fourth year of its five-year mental health and addiction services strategic plan with the start of a new training program for local justice professionals. The 8-hour training covers how to more effectively respond to people experiencing mental health crises or substance use dependence.  

The mental health plan was developed by the county’s 19-member Mental Illness and Addiction Ad Hoc Advisory Committee and was passed by the Collier County Board of Commissioners in 2019. It started in 2020 and has six priority areas, which all aim to address the increased demand for crisis support in the county. The behavioral health training addresses two of the priorities of the plan, community education and advocacy, and furthers mental health and addiction initiatives throughout the criminal justice system.   

Collier County Judge Janeice Martin has experience dealing with local mental health issues, acting as the presiding judge of all three treatment courts—drug, mental health and veteran. Before she arrived on the bench almost 15 years ago, she attended a Crisis Intervention Team program on behavioral health… 

Read more at Gulfshore Business.