EPIC Ed.

Please join us for our first EPIC Ed of 2023. Thursday, March 23rd from 10:00-11:30am. We will feature the 1^st of a 3-part series addressing all the workings of the SEMO Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).  This event will be in person located at the Cape Girardeau Police Department at 2530 Maria Louise Lane.  We do hope to provide a virtual option as well so stay tuned for more information about that.
Please RSVP to Stacey at coordinator@epicprevention.org or by texting 573-579-5466 by March 20^th, 2023

The SEMO Crisis Intervention Team was established in 2014 as an effort between area law enforcement and behavioral health providers to address issues related to the incarceration and criminalization of individuals with behavioral health disorders. We are thrilled to have Savannah Martin and Sheriff Jason Klaus as speakers for this event. 

Savannah Martin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience working in the behavioral health field. Savannah graduated with her bachelor’s degree in social work from Southeast Missouri State University in May of 2008 and graduated with her master’s in social work in December of 2011 from University of Missouri-Columbia. Savannah specializes in working with individuals in mental health crisis, substance use disorders and justice involved populations. Savannah is currently employed at Community Counseling Center where she is the Program Manager for the Behavioral Health Crisis Center. Savannah has been engaged with the SEMO CIT Council since its inception in 2014 and serves as the Training Coordinator. Savannah is also a trained SIM facilitator, a member of the statewide SIM Steering Committee, a member of the JRI Crisis Response Workgroup.  Savannah is passionate about her work to improve the crisis response system so we can better serve individuals in need within our local communities. 

Jason Klaus is the Sheriff of the Perry County (MO) Sheriff’s Office in Perryville, Missouri.  Jason has been with the Perry County Sheriff’s Office since September of 1996 and has served as a Jail Officer, Patrol Deputy, School Resource Officer, Detective, and appointed Sheriff in October of 2022.  Jason attended the Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Academy in the summer of 1996 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998.  Jason is currently the Missouri Crisis Intervention Team (MO CIT) Coordinator and responsible for expanding CIT throughout the state and to develop and maintain relationships with community behavioral health and advocacy partners.