Sidney Police Officer Mike McRill was named the 2015 recipient of the Director's Award at the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services Annual Meeting and Art of Recovery reception October 21 at Edison Community College in Piqua.

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.

Sharon Deschambeau, president of the Darke County Chamber of Commerce, received the Geraldine B. Nelson Advocacy Award at the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services Annual Meeting and Art of Recovery reception October 21 at Edison Community College in Piqua.

In presenting the award, Tri-County Board Chairman and Greenville Police Chief Dennis Butts cited Deschambeau's leading role in "bringing to the table decision-makers from across the spectrum - business leaders, community leaders, elected officials, courts, healthcare, behavioral healthcare and others – to create a coalition to address the serious challenge of opiates and specifically heroin’s effects on Greenville and Darke County. Without this strength of will, without this vision that through coordinated efforts conditions can change, we would not be where we are in addressing this very complex problem."

Deschambeau accepted the award saying the coalition came about in response to hearing Darke County employers say they are having trouble maintaining their workforce due to the scourge of drugs, specifically heroin, affecting employability. She said the issue has "become my passion - it affects the physical health, mental and behavioral health, and spiritual health of our community."

The Geraldine B. Nelson Advocacy Award is named for the Tri-County Board's first Director of Community Resource Development, and has been presented annually since 2000 to individuals or groups who demonstrate exceptional advocacy in the realm of mental health and addiction issues.

Greenville Police Chief Dennis Butts was named the Ohio CIT Law Enforcement Administrator of the Year at the Crisis Intervention Team Advanced Training Conference October 28 in Columbus.

The Crisis Intervention Team process trains law enforcement officers in how to recognize and deal with persons exhibiting signs of mental illness or substance abuse and addiction, and how to divert them into appropriate treatment and recovery as an alternative to the criminal justice system.

The Greenville Police Department, through the efforts and advocacy of Chief Butts, is the first department in the Darke, Miami and Shelby County service area to have 100 percent of its officers complete the Tri-County Board’s Crisis Intervention Team.

Presenting the award was Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. In presenting the award, DeWine noted that Butts has “built strong, collaborative relationships with mental health and addiction agencies in Darke County.”

DeWine quoted Greenville Police Sergeant Scott Drew, saying CIT “has resulted in better service to the public by having knowledgeable officers correctly assess people in crisis and getting them the help they so desperately need,” adding that CIT techniques result in fewer officer man-hours spent on crisis calls, and fewer officer complaints, calling it a “win-win for everyone.”

Chief Butts serves as a member of the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services.

Other area officers recognized include Troy Police Department Patrolman Tom Gibson and Detective Chris Madigan. The two received special recognition for "exceptional contributions to the Ohio CIT movement" in the past year. The officers, both trained in the Tri-County Board's CIT program, were instrumental in preventing a suicide attempt at the State Route 41 overpass of Interstate 75 in August.