Category: Suicide Category: Suicide (show less) Other: Utah Other: Utah (show less)

1.5 SUICIDE

The goal of this presentation is to examine the interplay between law enforcement and social workers responding to vulnerable populations with mental health issues. We will examine the benefits of forming law enforcement and social worker mental health partnerships. We will also work to heighten the understanding of how critical the need is for shared community response. Lastly, enhance equity of mental health and suicide response in the field.

Dr. David Parker, PhD, M.Ed, BSW
David's educational and professional background is dynamic and diverse and includes Social Work, Education, and the Performing Arts. His Social Work perspective is at the foundation of his work in each of these areas throughout his career and his life. He earned his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a focus on cultural transformation from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh PA. David assists organizations and businesses in aligning their behavior with their stated mission on the way to creating a more inclusive culture. Dr. Parker presents workshops and keynote addresses throughout Utah and the United States. In addition, he co-teachers a dialogue model course in the College of Social Work. Dr. Parker is the President elect for NASW Utah.

Chief Jeff Carr
Chief Jeff Carr started his law enforcement career in 1983 with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. While at the Sheriff’s Office he worked in patrol, investigations, special operations, SWAT, and was assigned to the planning team that wrote the security plan for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. From 1999 to 2007 he served in senior management positions including Chief Deputy over law enforcement operations and Undersheriff. In 2007 Chief Carr joined the Utah Department of Public Safety as a Major overseeing the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Statewide Information and Analysis Center (SIAC). From 2013 to 2015 he served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety. In July 2015, He was appointed as the Chief of Police for the City of South Jordan. In 2020, he was named Police Chief of the Year by the Utah Chiefs of Police Association. Chief Carr holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University and holds undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Business Administration. He is a 1996 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia and in 2011 completed the Executive Leadership Program in Homeland Security at the Naval Postgraduate School.in Monterey California.

Detective Benjamin Jensen
Ben Jensen is currently a detective for the Salt Lake Police Crisis Intervention Team. He has been a police officer for 19 years, with assignments such as: field training officer, gang liaison officer, motors officer, and SWAT sniper/operator. Ben has also been an instructor for defensive tactics, baton, taser, and excited delirium. His hobbies outside of work consist of hunting, hiking, and landscape photography.

Karen Montaño, LCSW
Karen Montaño is currently a Social Work Manager for the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Community Connection Team/Crisis Intervention Team. Karen was born and raised in central Utah. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Psychology from UVU. Received her Master’s in Social Work from Tulane University. After graduation Karen worked for the nonprofit Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans with the immigrant and refugee communities as a Bilingual Clinician. Upon returning to Utah, Karen took the opportunity to work as an LCSW for the SLCPD responding to crisis mental health calls for service. Karen is passionate about integrating clinical skills and workshops into Macro/Mezzo level work and advocacy. In her spare time Karen likes to go dancing, cook, eat food, and dabble in canvas painting.

Nichole Cunha, LCSW
Nichole Cunha, LCSW, brings with her a robust background in crisis management and has a history of providing acute care for clients who have a myriad of challenging concerns and high-risk presenting problems. Nichole has developed numerous crisis intervention programs. Her work emphasizes community-based assessment and treatment, encouraging collaborative management of symptoms and least restrictive environments. Currently she serves as a Crisis Administrator with the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

John Evans, LMFT
John Evans, LMFT is a clinical supervisor at Weber Human Services in Ogden, Utah. He helped create the MCOT ( Mobile Crisis Outreach Team) in Weber County and continues to supervise it. John has extensive background in crisis services, civil commitment law, older adult mental health, adult mental health, evidenced based treatment for persons with serious mental illness, and inpatient services. John tries to apply a systemic view to all his clinical work. His clinical interests include Psychoeducation and Multifamily Group Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focus Therapy, Family Therapy, Couples Therapy, Utah Civil Commitment Law, Crisis intervention, and Older Adult treatment. He enjoys creating and implementing new programs and the mentoring and coaching of supervisors and therapists and other staff in these programs. John has a M.A. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Lutheran University , and is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Utah.