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About Us
President of the Board
Dr. Dara Rampersad specialty is focused in First Responder and Forensic Psychology, he is licensed in both the state of 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's passion was emboldened in 2016 when he founded 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 department personnel on resiliency, stress management and other pertinent topics to mental health wellness.
Dr. Rampersad assisted in creation of 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 first responders alike.
Dr. Rampersad is a founding member and first President of the Arizona CIT Association. He also serves on the CIT International Association 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, has had involvement as a Team Leader for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) policy group; revising policies and procedures for how law enforcement assist community members experiencing mental health crisis.
Dr. Rampersad assisted in the launch of the Maui County Police Departments as well as State of Hawaii’s very first CIT. During this time, he was also able to assist in initiating Maui County’s first felony/circuit court mental health court, and achieved a selection by CIT International as an International Behavioral Health Practitioner of the year.
Dr. Rampersad has appeared on multiple broadcasts in television and radio programs to speak on law enforcement response to mental health, violence risk assessment, homelessness, and other mental health issues affecting our communities. Dr. Rampersad has also served as an Expert Witness in complex judicial cases involving involuntary hospitalization and fitness to proceed issues.
Dr. Rampersad is a recipient of multiple 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 in which he influenced. He was also lauded by and recipient of commendations from the Phoenix Police Department for sitting on the CIT Unit panel of the detective selection interviews and testing process, and for his ongoing skilled work in assisting law enforcement as a first responder psychologist.
1st Vice President of the Board
Amanda Stamps has served with the Mesa Police Department for over 23 years. During her tenure, she worked in patrol officer obtaining fundamental skills engaging directly with the public later advancing to Field Training Officer overseeing and teaching new members of the department skills which are critical in learning early in their professions. Her service includes further specializing and obtaining a detective position with the department's Special Victim's Unit as well as expanding her role into the Community Engagement Unit. Youth Development (can you expand on this role?), as a member of the peer support team (is this a voluntary position you signed up for?), and most recently as the department's Crisis Intervention Team Program Coordinator, leading the unit . As a recognized Subject Matter Expert, Detective Stamps teaches mental illness and crisis intervention to all officers both at the police academy level and continuing training. She also provides training to police communications and detention personnel. As a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and certified presenter for “Be Safe the Movie,” Detective Stamps instructs 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 as well as 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