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CCSO Beha
vioral

CCSO Behavioral
“Jane” became a familiar voice to 911 The BHB plays a critical role throughout
dispatchers, reporting everything from the county, taking on responsibilities that
alligators in her yard to people listening support both the community and other
Health Bureau
through her lamps and TV. Deputies Heal th Bureau CCSO members. The bureau:
responded repeatedly and, though the calls • Provides direct outreach and support to
were unfounded, their Crisis Intervention individuals and families

Leads with
Team (CIT) training helped them recognize Leads with • Acts as a liaison with community
Jane was experiencing serious mental health behavioral health partners
challenges, not committing a crime. • Serves on Collier County Problem
Compassion,
Instead of arresting her for misuse of Solving Court teams (Drug Court, Veterans
911, deputies sought help. They contacted Comp assion, Court and Mental Health Court)
Lt. Leslie Weidenhammer of the Collier • Deploys the Behavioral Health
a
Inno
tion
v
County Sheriff’s Office’s Behavioral Health Intervention Team (BHIT), a co-response
Bureau (BHB), to connect Jane with services Innovation unit that pairs law enforcement with mental
and partnered with NAMI Collier County health professionals, one of the first call
for ongoing support. With coordinated response teams in the nation.
intervention, Jane received care and continues to be supported. • Manages a wider co-response network that includes Fire/EMS
Jane’s story reflects a broader shift in Collier County. Mental and corrections deputies to divert people into services whenever
health and substance-related crises are met with care, not handcuffs. possible
The Behavioral Health Bureau brings together specially trained • Oversees the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)
deputies and mental health clinicians who work side-by-side to Program, which redirects certain substance-related offenses toward
provide support, treatment options and a path toward stability rather treatment rather than jail or prosecution
than a trip to jail. • Supports CCSO members and their families through wellness
“People don’t get better in jail,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. and resiliency programs
“Connecting them with treatment and care is the key.” • Operates the Crisis Call Diversion Program inside the CCSO
Mental health has long been among Sheriff Rambosk’s top Communications Center
priorities. For nearly two decades, Sheriff Rambosk has implemented • Leads all Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training in Collier
various initiatives and programs to address mental and behavioral County, partnering with agencies both inside and outside the county
health issues within the community and among first responders. He This broad range of services ensures that the bureau can help
created the Behavioral Health Bureau in 2015 with a philosophy people at every stage of a crisis—from the moment they call for help
that guides every interaction: people struggling with behavioral to long-term follow-up and support
health challenges need help, not punishment. In fact, CCSO was Whether they’re responding in person, assisting over the phone,
one of the first law enforcement agencies in the nation to establish a or training others to recognize the signs of crisis, the members of the
dedicated bureau focused on assisting individuals with mental illness Behavioral Health Bureau carry out Sheriff Rambosk’s vision every
or substance use disorder. day: to protect the community by connecting people with the help
The nine-member bureau includes two specially trained certified they need.
deputies, a full-time CCSO licensed social worker and three crisis Listen wherever you get your podcasts or stream it on SoundCloud.
call-takers. Under Lt. Weidenhammer’s leadership, they work closely
with community partners, including David Lawrence Centers, NCH
Healthcare and the courts.

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