Navigating Schizophrenia and Addiction at a Crisis Center

Clip from Episode 75.

An 18-year-old Neill Martin security worker recalls his shocking yet enlightening experience at a crisis center, dealing with individuals facing drug addiction and mental health issues. He shares how he was thrown into challenging interactions with people suffering from schizophrenia and substance abuse, and learned to see them as regular individuals coping with life's struggles. How did his perspective change through this intense job experience? Check out the full episode live on all platforms 9/8.

00:00 Introduction to Crisis Center Work
00:27 First Impressions and Challenges
00:48 Age and Experience
00:56 Developing Interaction Skills
01:09 Understanding and Empathy

New Episode Live on all platforms 9/8.

Years of Service: 2019-Present

Neill began his career in law enforcement in 2019 as a reserve detention deputy in the Jerome County Jail. He was then hired full-time as a detention deputy for the Gooding County Jail. As Neill explains, the jail helped him learn how to talk to people who were going through difficult times.

In October of 2021, Niell was hired as a police officer for the Gooding Police Department. As a new officer, Neill handled typical patrol calls including traffic, domestic violence, and theft.

In 2023, as a result of staffing shortages, Neill was thrown into the deep end and was promoted to detective where he began investigating crimes such as sexual assault, child abuse, drug trafficking, and homicide.

In May of 2023, Neill was assigned his first homicide investigation. During this interview, Neill offers a candid assessment of what it is like to be a young detective, the steep learning curve, and relying on older more experienced detectives to help him with investigations.