Twombly honored as Crisis Intervention Officer of the Year
UT Southwestern Police Officer Jacob Twombly, a four-year veteran of the force, was recently recognized as Crisis Intervention Officer of the Year by the Dallas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
The Lubbock native received the award at the annual banquet of NAMI Dallas. In attendance were his wife, Samantha Twombly, and UTSW Police Chief Marcus Lewis and Capt. Billy Talkington.
“Officer Twombly demonstrates a long-standing commitment to the mental health community to produce positive outcomes in situations involving police interactions,” said Chief Lewis, adding that Officer Twombly’s cultivated knowledge and established relationships within the community have proved to be a valuable resource. “His passion for helping others, coupled with his dedication to UT Southwestern and the mental health community, is commendable and illustrative of the level of service and value that we strive to provide to the University and the population we serve.”
Officer Twombly said he was honored to receive the award from NAMI, a grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for Americans affected by mental illness. “Working with the organization gives us the opportunity to help a lot of people,” he said.
Law enforcement agencies for medical centers such as UT Southwestern often interact with people living with mental illness, which Officer Twombly first learned when working for another Dallas hospital system.
“At one time, we were being called in to assist on mental health cases at a 3-to-1 ratio to crime calls,” he said of his previous job. “We saw them so much that we bonded with them. These patients often come to medical centers seeking help.”
As a result, Officer Twombly became interested in helping those dealing with crisis or mental health issues. Since joining UT Southwestern, he has become a regular guest instructor at the Dallas Police Academy, teaching the Mental Health Peace Officer Certification Course. He also teaches a class on officer response to mental illness for UT System police and is a member of the Dallas Police Department’s Community Support Coalition. In addition, he is a member of the Dallas County Clinical Operations Team, which counsels the Dallas County Commissioners Court on mental health matters.
– Lin Lofley