In presenting the award, Tri-County Board Executive Director Mark McDaniel cited Officer McRill's deep involvement with advocacy for behavioral health, saying that after McRill attended the 2008 Crisis Intervention Team Academy, "He immediately embraced the core values of CIT in his day-to-day interactions with those experiencing a behavioral health crisis. He became the “go to” officer in his department when other officers had questions regarding a person in crisis and how to get them the care they needed. Now the Community Resource Officer for the Sidney Police Department, he has recently been certified as a Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor as part of his continuing commitment to educate those in our community about how to intervene in a behavioral health crisis."
Accepting the award, McRill stated the importance of the CIT training is tuning officers into the specific needs of those in behavioral health crisis, and thanked his fellow officers for embracing the spirit of CIT. He said as a Community Resource Officer he is thankful for having the opportunity to help people in need, and thanked his family, especially his wife, Karen, for her support.
The Director's Award is presented annually to an individual or group who has demonstrated exemplary service to the Tri-County recovery and mental health system.