Meet Amanda Stamps
Amanda Stamps retired from the Mesa Police Department after spending almost 24 years pursuing her passion of helping others. During her career she 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.
A recognized Subject Matter Expert, Detective Stamps has taught mental illness awareness and crisis intervention to officers both at the academy level and in their continuing training and provides training to communication and detention personnel. Detective Stamps provides many classes throughout the community, including training specific for the Autism 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, the current co-responder model, and the call diversion program responsible for diverting hundreds of calls directly to the crisis system. Detective Stamps has worked with numerous agencies throughout Arizona to develop evidence-based CIT Programs.
She 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 Arizona State University College of Health Solutions in pursuit of a Doctor of Behavioral Health.
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.
Detective Stamps currently works in the private sector for a large non-profit and continues to be involved with advising both behavioral health agencies and first responders in order to improve the lives of individuals in crisis and empower the first responders assisting during the crisis.
Honors and Experience
Education
October 2020 to Present
Arizona State University, College of Health Solutions, Doctor of Behavioral Health
September 2016 to 2019
Grand Canyon University, College of Doctoral Studies in Organizational Leadership, Behavioral Health
December 2003
Northern Arizona University, Master of Education, Counseling & Human Relations
July 1997
University of Alabama at Huntsville, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Experience
Mesa Police Department, Mesa, Arizona
Crisis Response Team Detective/CIT Program Coordinator (July 1998-Present)
- Manage more than 250 personnel throughout the department who are certified as CIT Trained. Responsible for initial training and yearly continuing training. Assisted with training more than 650 CIT Officers.
- Provide training at all levels for both sworn and non-sworn members regarding crisis response, mental illness, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and Autism. Trained the entire Mesa Police Department in 2016.
- Responsible for representing the department across the state and providing various mental health and CISM training.
- Coordinate the implementation of the Crisis Response Team and all projects associated with the unit’s growth.
- Coordinate partnership with CPR, Inc. with the clinician assigned to the Crisis Response Team as a law enforcement co-responder.
- Act as the subject matter expert on crisis intervention, mental illness, aging issues, and developmental disabilities for the agency. Give guidance to command regarding projects and policy. Advise on civil litigation against the City of Mesa.
- Team leader for the Peer support team. Certified in Critical Incident Stress Management through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. Responded to dozens of critical incidents and ran CISM de-briefs post-incident.
- Law enforcement liaison with behavioral health providers through Maricopa County.
- Provide community education and events including Mental Health First Aid (Adult, Law enforcement, Fire Fighters, Higher Educations, and Aging population), autism training including “Be Safe the Movie,” and community resource fairs for behavioral health.
- Manage the Residents Assistance Program to provide early identification for individuals with disabilities during police contacts.
- Complete policy writing and updates on crisis/mental health response.
- Manage the budget, donations and grants responsible for the Crisis Response Team including local, Tribal, and federal grants. Has written grants including local, federal and tribal agencies.
- Act as the City of Mesa representative on local suicide prevention initiatives.
- Experience for over 2 decades of criminal investigations, patrol, field training, community engagement, and youth development.
- Provide one on one training/direct supervision to new officers in the field. Responsible for all phases of training.
- Act as a liaison for the LGBT Community as an active member of the Diversity Team.
Training Classes/Curriculum Development
- “Be Safe” the movie (Community Autism Training)
- Behavioral Health Response (Required academy training AZ. Helped develop statewide curriculum)
- Mental Illness Awareness
- De-escalation and Communication
- Understanding Autism
- Alzheimer’s and Dementia Response
- Basic Crisis Intervention Training
- CIT Training (40 hour class facilitation)
- Officer Self-Care and Resiliency
- The petition writing process and mental health statutes (Arizona)
- Basic Motivational Interviewing
- Situational Awareness for Crisis Teams
- Cop Culture and responding with law enforcement (for BH providers)
Leadership Experience
Arizona Crisis Intervention Team Association
1st Vice President (2019-current)
St. Luke's Behavioral Hospital
Governing Board Member (2021-2023)
Maricopa Community Crisis Collaborative
Co-Chair (2020-2021)
Mental Health America of Arizona
Elected Board Member (2018-current)
Professional Associations/Advisory Boards
Community Advisory Board for ASU’s Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy
Invited Member (2020-2022)
Mesa Police Department Mental Health Advisory Board
Founding Member (2016-2022)
Mesa Police Department Human Rights Advisory Board
Chairperson (2018-2019)
CIT International Member (2016-current)
Arizona CIT Association
Executive Board Member (2019-current)
National Alliance for Mental Illness Member, (2016-current)
East Valley CIT Program Collaboration
Founding Member (2015-current)
Arizona Mental Health and Criminal Justice Coalition
Member (2015-2022)
Arizona Women in Policing Association
Member (2013-current)
Special Olympics/Law Enforcement Torch Run
Mesa Committee Member/Participant (1998-2022)
Academic Services
Western Arizona College-Basic Police Academy
2021-Present
University of Phoenix, Online Campus
Adjunct Faculty (2006-2012)
Everest College, Mesa,
Arizona Adjunct Faculty (2006-2008)
Central Arizona College/Regional Law Officers Training Academy,
Adjunct Faculty (2004-2008)
Awards
Public Safety Partnership Award
Arizona State University Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy, 2020
Detective of the Year
Mesa Police Department, 2019
Shining Star Award
Autism Society of Greater Phoenix, 2018
David’s Hope Crisis Award
Arizona Mental Health and Criminal Justice Coalition, 2017
Crisis Response Officer of Distinction
Arizona Mental Health and Criminal Justice Coalition, 2016
Chief’s Impact Award
Mesa Police Department, 2016
Life-Saving Citation
Mesa Police Department, 2015
Consulting Services
Assisted in developing CIT Programs for the following Arizona areas:
Eastern Maricopa County, Western Maricopa County, Navajo County, Gila County, Pinal County, and Yavapai County
