As a police officer with over twenty years in the field, Carolyn Gammicchia has observed many situations where officers encountered individuals with mental illness and hidden disabilities. However, due to a lack of education and training on the part of the officers, the desired outcomes did not often result, either for the police, or the individuals involved. Having witnessed many such encounters growing up with a brother who had Epilepsy –– a brother often arrested when officers did not recognize his “unusual” behavior as the result of him experiencing a seizure –– Carolyn Gammicchia knew that she had to do something to change the system. Now, as the parent of a child with autism, Carolyn believes more than ever in empowering first responders and other professionals with the education and training to achieve their foremost mission: Helping people.
In 2002, Officer Gammicchia and her husband Andrew, also an officer, formed the organization, The Law Enforcement Awareness Network (L.E.A.N. On Us). The organization has developed materials, delivered trainings, and provided information and resources not only to first responders, but also to community members as well. For example, The “Appropriate Response –– Appropriate Preparedness” program has provided education and 50/50 partnerships, enabling first responder agencies to recognize those individuals who may in fact have mental illnesses and hidden disabilities, i.e., Autism, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disorder, and Tourette Syndrome. With this knowledge, both parties can work together for the best outcomes within our communities.
The Association of Children’s Mental Health of Michigan has recognized Carolyn, an advocate within the disability community for many years, as the 2006 “Parent Advocate of the Year.” She also won a position, after serving for several years on her local and state ASA chapter boards, to the National ASA Board of Directors. Currently working tirelessly on three grant projects to obtain assistance in educating professionals about disabilities, Carolyn continues her mission with an eye to addressing problems with which she has a great deal of first-hand knowledge. One of the grants awarded through the Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime would provide law enforcement professionals with materials on how to meet the needs of victims of crime who have Autism. Another grant provides for a training program in Michigan for Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers on how to respond to individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Yet another grant provides for a training program in Michigan for Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers on how to respond to individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities.
In her often twelve to fourteen-hour workdays, Carolyn serves as the Coordinator for Everyone Together Macomb, a project that assists parents, professionals, and individuals with disabilities. Typical of Carolyn’s anything-but-typical commitment was the gift she requested for her birthday this year: an airline ticket to Washington, D.C. so she could testify at an open hearing before the Office of Special Education Programs on the Reauthorization of IDEA. Carolyn Gammicchia told her family that the experience provided her the best birthday she had ever had.
To learn more about Carolyn and her cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit:
www.leanonus.org
Read More Hero Stories >
