DAY 1. FIRST RESPONDER SPEAKERS
“Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops, Film Screening with Q & A.”
Description: Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops is a documentary that follows two San Antonio Police Department officers, Ernie Stevens, & Joe Smarro who work in the Mental Health Unit. The film shows how the officers' innovative approach to policing helps people in crisis and changes how police respond to mental health calls. The film takes audiences on a personal journey, weaving together these two officers' experiences during their daily encounters with people in crisis.
OBJECTIVES
Start a dialogue in your community, police department, hospital, etc. about improving the culture and approach to mental health response and 911 calls
Learn how police can successfully use nonviolent methods to divert people in crisis from jail and into treatment
Understand what a mental health unit could look like in your community
Reduce mental health stigma
Increase understanding of, and compassion for, people with mental health challenges
Educate those studying or interested in policing, criminal justice, and/or mental health
Spark dialogue about officer wellness and self-care
How to be honest about one's own fear and concerns
Supporting Care
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Building Resilience
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Supporting Care • Building Resilience •
Ernie Stevens
Executive Director of Face Addiction Now (FAN)
Judge Linda Davis was appointed to the bench in 2000 by Michigan Governor John Engler. Prior to her judgeship, Davis spent 13 years as an Assistant Prosecutor with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. She played a crucial role in the inception of Face Addiction Now (FAN; formerly Families Against Narcotics) and has been instrumental in the success and growth of the nonprofit. In 2019, Davis retired from the 41B District Court to become Executive Director of FAN. She was appointed as a voting member of Michigan's Opioid Advisory Commission in 2022.
Joe Smarro
CEO of SolutionPoint+
Joe Smarro is a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his military service, he joined the San Antonio Police Department in 2005, where he was a founding member of the Mental Health Unit (MHU), helping it become a nationally recognized program. Joe served in the MHU for 11 years and delivered a TEDx talk in 2018 titled "I See You." He was featured in the Emmy-winning documentary Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops.
In 2017, Joe founded SolutionPoint+, a national consulting firm focused on mental wellness and safety in organizations. He left the SAPD in 2020 to focus on improving behavioral health and criminal justice systems nationwide, with the goal of eradicating suicide among first responders. Joe is also a best-selling author of Unarmed: De-escalation Techniques to Cultivate Courage, Compassion, and Connection. When not speaking, training, or writing, Joe enjoys golfing.