The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Care Coordinators Program grew out of Sheriff Tommy Ford’s concern for those suffering from addiction issues or mental health conditions that have caused them to come to the attention of law enforcement. Sheriff Ford spoke to experts working for the Northwest Florida Healthcare Network. Out of that meeting came the new Care Coordinator Program at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
There are four Care Coordinators at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. This month we meet Ms. Deneika Roulhac and Ms. McKenzie Galbreath, two ladies with a lot of compassion that are bringing hope to those suffering from addiction and mental health issues.
Connecting Those In Need To Help And Hope
Deneika Roulhac works out of the Community Services Division at the BCSO. Her task is to reach out to those with mental illness to connect them to services in our community that can help them. As BCSO deputies encounter those with mental illness, they can refer that person to Deneika as appropriate for the Care Coordinators program. Deneika then reaches out and makes contact. She will enlist the help of family members when possible to provide emotional support to the person, and then work with the person to get them services. Once the person is actively participating and receiving help, they are released from the program.
“My goal is to see the person successfully enter care,” Deneika said, “eventually becoming integrated back into the community as a contributing member.”
With a degree in Psychology and a background in our school system, Deneika is excited to see the positive results BCSO Care Coordinator program will have in Bay County.
More Than Just A Number
Meet McKenzie Galbreath, one of the new Care Coordinators at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. McKenzie has worked at the BCSO for about two years as an analyst. She often kept stats as part of her job as an analyst. Now, as a Care Coordinator, she finds she is meeting the people behind the numbers, and trying to see that they receive help. When a deputy or investigator encounters an overdose victim or addicted individual they feel appropriate for the program, McKenzie is notified and tasked with reaching out to speak with them. She offers to connect them to services that can lead to recovery. So far, McKenzie says her offer of help from the BCSO has been met with relief, and appreciation. McKenzie has a dual degree, one in Psychology and one in Law Enforcement Intelligence. “It’s humbling to be able to help people in this way,” McKenzie says of her new position. “Our goal is to see them into recovery.”
The Care Coordinator program is just one more way the BCSO can serve the people of Bay County. This program was made possible by a grant through the Northwest Florida Healthcare Network.
