Correspondent photo / John D. Bagnola Jackson Township police officer Lisa Storey gets two to three calls each month for crisis intervention.

NORTH JACKSON — Officer Lisa Storey, an 11-year veteran of the police department, received a Distinguished Service Award last week from Jackson Township police Chief Peter Rozzi III.

But Storey didn’t boast about the award. Instead, she said, “This is what I have been trained to do, but hoped that I would never have to use this training to save someone’s life from a suicide attempt.”

Rozzi praised Storey and said she is a wonderful asset to the department because of her unwavering dedication to the community and the department, and her ability to find a way to work through crisis situations.

“She always leads by example and receives this citation due to her quick reaction when she diverted a possible suicide two weeks ago. This is not her first success story either. In her 11-year tenure here, she has saved numerous lives,” he said.

“Our Crisis Intervention Team’s philosophy is to approach the situation in a calm manner and do everything necessary to keep the subject calm and help the individual understand that they are not alone and hurting oneself is not the answer,” Storey said.

Suicide attempts are more prevalent in the Mahoning Valley than one might imagine. Storey and Jackson Township officers receive at least three dispatch calls a month from minors, adults or the elderly concerning possible suicide.

Duane Piccirilli, executive director of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, said there have been 50 deaths by suicide in Mahoning County since January and there were 54 in 2023.

Storey, 54, the only woman officer on the township police force, graduated from McDonald High School in 1988 and lives in Jackson Township. She went on to graduate from Youngstown State University with a degree in criminal justice and has been an officer for 14 years.

She attributes her training to the CIT program. Rozzi said all Jackson Township officers are certified in the 40-hourprogram. It teaches how to de-escalate the situation and listen to the individual, not the problem. The lack of mental health crisis services across the country has resulted in law enforcement officers serving as first responders to most all crises. The program is geared to create connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, community leaders and individuals with mental illness and their families.

“It is just as difficult for the first responders as it is for the individual in crisis or as the suicide victim and their family. All communities are also concerned about their officers. Figures show that nearly 50 officers commit suicide each year because of similar mental health issues. Many get involved in sports, meditation or donating time at an animal shelter. The horrible visual of a suicide never leaves you,” Storey said.

Her release has been equine therapy at the Campbell Horse Farm in North Jackson with her good friend and great listener, Sara Campbell. She helps brush and feed Silver Dollar Percheron horses there.

Storey is a widow but spends most of her down time away from work with her three prize German shepherds.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, dial the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988. Someone is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To suggest a Friday profile, contact Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com or Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.