Dec 23, 2020 Kyle Ocker
CENTERVILLE â Appanoose County Sheriff Gary Anderson was honored with the 2020 Compassion in Crisis from the National Association of Mental Health (NAMI) South Central Iowa division recently.
The award honors the work of law enforcement and emergency personnel who demonstrate compassion and understanding when dealing with individuals in a mental health crisis. According to NAMI South Central Iowa president Dewey McConville, Anderson is believed to be the first person in Iowa to receive the honor.
According to a statement from NAMI, Anderson, who insisted he and his officers take 40-hour crisis intervention training, was the overwhelming choice for this inaugural award, as he has for many years treated our citizens with dignity and respect, seeking treatment options first, if possible, rather than incarceration for persons in mental health crisis.