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About Us
President of the Board
Dr. Dara Rampersad is a First Responder and Forensic psychologist who is licensed in both Arizona and Hawaii. He is certified in Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) as a CIT Coordinator, and is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), and FBI- Crisis Negotiator Teams (CNT). In addition, Dr. Rampersad is licensed as a professional counselor in Arizona and Colorado, and is nationally board certified in counseling, with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field.
Dr. Rampersad owns and operates BluePaz First Responder Services, which hosts annual first responder health and wellness conferences and provides counseling, consulting, coaching, critical incident stress debriefings, and training to first responders and their departments on resiliency, stress management and other pertinent topics.
Dr. Rampersad helped to start the world’s first hospital-based CIT program, and he currently serves as the Director of Crisis Services for a large multi-state hospital system. He is also an instructor for many law enforcement agencies, and trains on crisis and Mental Health Tactical Intervention (MHTI) to fire departments, paramedics, and other first responders.
Dr. Rampersad is a founding member and first President of the Arizona CIT Association. He also serves on the CIT International and EMSHelp boards of directors, Mesa Police Department mental health advisory board, and Phoenix Fire Department paramedic training advisory board.
Dr. Rampersad works with the Peoria Police Department and Prescott Valley Police Department as a member of their peer support team, and was also involved as a team leader for an International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) policy group; revising policies and procedures for how law enforcement assist people mental health crisis.
Dr. Rampersad helped to launch Maui County Police Department’s and the State of Hawaii’s very first CIT program aimed to improve first responder service delivery to people living with mental illness. During this time, he was also able to assist in starting Maui County’s first felony/circuit court mental health court, and he was selected by CIT International as an international behavioral health practitioner of the year.
Dr. Rampersad has appeared on multiple television and radio programs to speak on law enforcement response to mental health, violence risk assessment, homelessness, and other mental health issues. He has also served as an expert witness in complex judicial cases involving involuntary hospitalization and fitness to proceed issues.
Dr. Rampersad has been given letters of commendation by the Governor of Hawaii and the Mayor and Chief of Police of Maui County for his pioneering work in the field of mental health. He was also lauded by and received commendations from the Phoenix Police Department for his assistance in selecting their CIT detective squads, and for his ongoing work in assisting law enforcement as a first responder psychologist.
1st Vice President of the Board
Amanda Stamps has been with the Mesa Police Department for more than 23 years. During her career she has worked as a patrol officer, a field training officer, a detective with the Special Victim's Unit, in Community Engagement and Youth Development, as a member of the peer support team, and most recently as the department's Crisis Intervention Team Program Coordinator. As a recognized Subject Matter Expert, Detective Stamps teaches mental illness and crisis intervention to all officers both at the academy level and in their continuing training and provides training to communication and detention personnel. As a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and certified presenter for “Be Safe the Movie,” Detective Stamps provides many classes throughout the community. In 2015, Detective Stamps became the 1st full-time CIT Program Coordinator for the Mesa Police Department and was involved in the creation of the Crisis Response Team and the current co-responder model. Detective Stamps has been a CIT officer since 2004 and has a BA in Psychology from the University of Alabama-Huntsville, a M.Ed. in Counseling and Human Relations from Northern Arizona University and is attending ASU in the College of Health Solutions in pursuit of a Doctor of Behavioral Health. Detective Stamps is a member of NAMI and CIT International and on the board of Mental Health America-Arizona and many community advisory boards. Detective Stamps was named the Detective of the Year in 2019 and has received numerous citations including a life-saving award through the Mesa Police Department.
2nd Vice President of the Board
Lieutenant Jeff Carrion brings more than two decades of law enforcement experience to our organization after starting his career with the Monmouth Sheriff’s Department in New Jersey in 1999. In 2001, Lieutenant Carrion made the move to Arizona and began working with the Peoria Police Department, where he remained until 2021. Lieutenant Carrion recently moved to the Goodyear Police Department. Over his 20 years with Peoria, Lieutenant Carrion has had assignments in patrol, including working as a field training officer, until he promoted to the rank of sergeant. As a sergeant, Lieutenant Carrion worked as a patrol supervisor and oversaw the Youth and Support Services Division and the School Resource Officers. Lieutenant Carrion has a long-lived passion for helping individuals in crisis and began his role with Peoria’s Crisis Negotiations team in 2003. In his last assignment with Peoria, Lieutenant Carrion supervised all things mental health related for the department including his work with their Crisis Intervention Team Program. Lieutenant Carrion and his team served a vital role in the creation of the West Valley CIT Coalition and developed countless outreach programs created to assist individuals in crisis, especially the vulnerable homeless population. Lieutenant Carrion is a member of the Arizona Tactical Officers and serves as the co-chair of their Crisis Negotiations section. Lieutenant Carrion has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Monmouth University. Outside of work, Lieutenant Carrion enjoys spending time with his family and volunteering to coach youth sports.
Secretary of the Board
Detective Lisa Scott has been a police officer for 14 years. Prior to joining the Peoria Police Department 7 years ago, Det. Scott also served 5 years with the Glendale Police Department. Det. Scott has been a Crisis intervention Team (CIT) certified officer for 11 years and is currently the Peoria Police Department’s CIT Coordinator and Peer Support Coordinator. She is also part of the Misdemeanor Repeat Offender (MROP) and Homeless Outreach Team. Det. Scott is a member of CIT International and part of the West Valley CIT Coalition and was instrumental with bringing CIT to the West Valley police agencies. Lisa was recently recognized by the Arizona Criminal Justice Mental Health Coalition as a Crisis Officer of Distinction and currently serves as the co-chair for the Maricopa Criminal Justice Crisis Community Collaborative. Det. Scott is a founding executive board member and current secretary of the Arizona CIT Association. Det. Scott attended Georgia Southern University and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Kinesiology.
Treasurer of the Board
Bio Coming Soon