Toni Roach has worked at the sheriff’s office for over 22 years. She currently oversees the behavioral health intervention team, which works to identify individuals who are high users of emergency services because of a mental health, or substance-use, disorder and connect them to community-based services.
She oversees the community’s Crisis Intervention Team training program and was awarded CIT officer of the year, in 2016. She is a board member for Pasco’s Alliance for Health Communities, Vincent House and Central Florida Behavioral Health Network.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT?
I am very passionate about mental health and substance-use issues in my community. Sheriff [Chris] Nocco gave me an opportunity to build out a program in our community to help this vulnerable population. I was able to build the program, from the ground up, starting with seven employees, which has tripled in size. We have been able to positively affect our community while improving relationships with community providers. We have also assisted other agencies to build out their programs.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST LESSON IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY?
You can’t arrest your way out of everything. Law enforcement works to preserve peace in the community and keep people safe. Many things people call law enforcement for are not police matters. What can I do at the moment to assist? Is it connecting to community resources or just listening and being empathic.
