San Andreas, CA) On 7/18/18 the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office was notified that “Behavioral Health Liaison” Brenda Hanley is receiving an international award for “Leadership in Human Rights and Civil Rights” from the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The Sheriff’s Office nominated Ms. Hanley for the award. Ms. Hanley is an employee of Calaveras County Health & Human Services Agency and is assigned to the Sheriff’s Office to assist with calls for service regarding individuals with mental/behavioral health issues. More specifically Ms. Hanley assists Deputy Sheriffs in the field, at the hospital, and in the jail by working on short and long term solutions for individuals with behavioral health issues.

For the past two years, Brenda Hanley has done an excellent job working at the Sheriff’s Office. She is called upon often to work alongside Sheriff’s personnel and a wide variety of other groups. Calaveras County does not have a secure mental health holding facility. Individuals who have diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health issues or who are in crisis, often come into contact with law enforcement. Many of those individuals commit crimes and end up in county jails and hospital emergency rooms for long periods of time. The Behavioral Health Liaison position was designed to act as a solution based intermediary between the families of persons who are mentally ill, law enforcement, the hospitals, the courts and other governmental agencies. Brenda Hanley has had great success at finding resources for persons with mental illness that prevent those persons from ending up in the jail system. Her actions have reduced the numbers of emergency visits that accompany 5150 W&I holds and overall her efforts are reducing the numbers of mentally ill persons who enter into our local court system. The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office would like to congratulate Brenda Hanley on receiving this award for her exemplary efforts in helping the citizens and residents of Calaveras County.