A $375,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration has allowed the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office to launch expanded programs in Mental Health First Aid, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, and Crisis Intervention Training.
This week, the YCSO hired former Camp Verde Marshal Nancy Gardner as a project manager for the training initiatives.
“Gardner will be focusing on the coordination and collaboration of the stakeholders within Yavapai County to arrange training for law enforcement, emergency services personnel and the Yavapai County School Districts, to recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness and identify the resources avail- able,” YCSO wrote in a press release. “Just as CPR helps non-medical personnel assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps non-clinicians assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use- related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, participants learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.”
Gardner comes with 27 years experience in law enforcement in Arizona, as well as a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University.
She also comes with a tumultuous record at the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office.
Gardner resigned in March of this year, after Camp Verde Town Manager Russ Martin publicly announced March 7 his intention to fire her March 12 from the marshal’s post. Gardner’s tenure as Camp Verde Marshal had been under investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety since October 2017.
The DPS investigation released a report in March detailing numerous instances of creating a hostile work environment.
The DPS report found that started that Gardner:
- Exerted improper influence in a depart- mental incident report.
- Appeared untruthful to her knowledge and misrepresentation of a candidate to the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.
- Paid personnel in violation of the personnel policy.
- Created an environment “where favoritism led to an environment not conducive to the esprit de corps and unity necessary for a law enforcement organization to operate at the level our citizens expect and deserve.”
- Created the appearance of the misuse of public funds. The criminal investigation halted the personnel investigation.
The investigator, DPS Detective Rick Ortiz, wrote there was no attempt by Gardner to knowingly defraud the town for personal financial gain and he closed the fraud and fraudulent schemes case, allowing the personnel investigation to resume.
“[Yavapai County] Sheriff [Scott] Mascher indicates all factors were taken into account in the review process, including matters at CVMO, and she was deemed very qualified for this position,” Dwight D’Evelyn, media relations coordinator for the YCSO, wrote in an email response to questions about whether Gardner’s record was known before her hiring.
Gardner did not respond to requests for comment.
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
