Pacific Clinics’ MILES Conference forges partnerships to improve support services.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARCADIA, Calif. (October 22, 2018) — Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey will join law enforcement officials from across Southern California as the keynote speaker at Pacific Clinics’ MILES Conference, held October 25 at the Los Angeles/San Gabriel Hilton.
MILES (Mental Illness and Law Enforcement Systems) — a collaboration between Pacific Clinics, the San Gabriel Valley Police Chiefs’ Association, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health—works to improve services to people living with mental illness.
During this 27th annual conference, the discussion will focus on threat management to help law enforcement and safety personnel be able to spot warning signs of violence and to educate attendees that mental illness does not lead to violent actions. “As one of the largest non-profit mental health care agencies in Southern California, Pacific Clinics forges strong partnerships with community partners through the MILES Conference,” said James Balla, President and CEO of Pacific Clinics. “By working together, we strengthen our communities through training and are collectively able to provide more support and services for those with mental illness and their families.”
Lacey, the keynote speaker, is founder and chair of the Criminal Justice Mental Health Project for Los Angeles County, and leads a multi-disciplinary group devoted to diverting people who are mentally ill out of the criminal justice system for non-violent offenses. In 2016, Lacey was the recipient of the James B. Strait MILES Visionary Leadership Award.
The conference is geared toward individuals in the fields of law enforcement, mental health, school safety personnel and security. Presenters this year include Dr. Manny Tau, a clinical and forensic psychologist with 20 years of experience performing threat assessment and management services.
The MILES Conference will honor Detective Charles Dempsey and retired Assistant Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur of Los Angeles Police Department. Both have been instrumental in the development and implementation of tactical mental health awareness trainings. The awards will be presented October 25, 2018, at 8:15 a.m. at the Los Angeles/San Gabriel Hilton ballroom, located at 225 West Valley Boulevard, San Gabriel.
