About

What We Do

Words to Deeds: Changing the Paradigm for Criminal Justice and Mental Health is a statewide collaborative and California’s premier forum for decriminalizing mental illness and preventing people with behavioral health needs from becoming involved with the criminal justice system.

From the first convening in 2003, Words to Deeds has evolved into a standard best practice for creating opportunities among individuals and systems from various professional backgrounds to foster collaborative problem-solving and empower leaders from state and local government, the courts, criminal justice, corrections, and behavioral health organizations. Since its inception, key decision-makers have convened to develop strategies for alternatives to incarceration, treatment, and programming for individuals in law enforcement custody and transitioning out of custody into the community. Words to Deeds convenings incubate innovative approaches and ideas, promote best-practices, and advance public policy to strengthen communities and advance justice and health equity across California.

Over the years, Words to Deeds has been supported by a wide array of government, philanthropic, and private sector partners. In partnership with the Mental Health Services Oversight Commission and the Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health, W2D 2024 – Establishing Metrics to Measure Success: Diversion, Data, and Accountability focused on establishing metrics and shaping a shared vision that will unite key partners from government, behavioral health, educational and advocacy organizations to measure success in decriminalizing mental illness, diversion, and reentry.

2024 Convening

Our Mission

The leaders in criminal justice and behavioral health participating in this effort strive to end the criminalization of individuals with mental illness by supporting proven strategies that promote early intervention, access to effective treatments, a planned reentry, and the preservation of public safety.

Our Vision

A true shift in the paradigm between criminal justice and behavioral health will embody an effective jail diversion system that fosters a successful and ongoing exchange of information among courts, criminal justice agencies, mental health professions, governmental agencies, and nongovernmental organizations, to achieve a substantial positive change in the way individuals with mental illness are treated within our communities.

Leadership Group

The Words to Deeds Leadership Group joins representatives from state and local government agencies, nonprofit and advocacy organizations to reduce the involvement of and improve outcomes for people with behavioral health issues involved with the criminal justice system, focusing on successful reintegration into their communities.

Membership is voluntary and members are as active as their professional schedules allow, attending Group meetings and Words to Deeds events. Conference calls/video meetings typically occur every other month, becoming more frequent for planning purposes as event deadlines approach.

2024 Leadership Group
  • Deanna Adams – Senior Analyst, Judicial Council of California, Criminal Justice Services, Operations & Programs Division
  • Jenny Bayardo – Executive Officer, California Behavioral Health Council
  • Autumn Boylan – Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Partnerships, California Department of Health Care Services
  • Ashley Breth – Assistant Deputy Director, Community Forensic Partnerships Division, Department of State Hospitals
  • Bill Brown– Sheriff-Coroner, Santa Barbara County
  • Michelle Cabrera— Executive Director, County Behavioral Health Directors Association
  • Cathy Coyne – Government Affairs Liaison (Retired), California State Sheriffs’ Association
  • Hallie Fader-Towe– Senior Policy Advisor, Council of State Governments Justice Center
  • Grace Ferguson– Executive Associate, Urban Counties of California
  • Brenda Grealish– Executive Officer, Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health
  • Carmen Green– Executive Director, California State Sheriffs’ Association
  • Latonya Harris – Research Scientist III, Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
  • R. Christine Hershey – Founder, Cause Communications
  • Kathryn Jett– Senior Policy Consultant, Shatterproof
  • Karen Larsen – Chief Executive Officer, The Steinberg Institute
  • Stephen V. Manley – Superior Court Judge, Santa Clara County
  • Lahela Mattox – Chief Operations Officer, San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless
  • Rosie McCool– Deputy Director, Chief Probation Officers of California
  • David Meyer– Clinical Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Law and Behavioral Sciences, USC Keck School of Medicine
  • Ryan Morimune – Legislative Advocate, Administration of Justice, California State Association of Counties
  • Kevin O’Connell – Research Consultant, O’Connell Research
  • Jolie Onodera –Senior Legislative Advocate, Health and Behavioral Health, California State Association of Counties
  • Tom Orrock – Deputy Director, Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
  • Mike Radford– Bureau Chief, Training Program Services Bureau, Commission on Peace Officer Standards & Training
  • Stephanie Regular – Assistant Public Defender, Contra Costa County
  • Tyler Rinde – Director of Government Affairs, California Psychological Association
  • Kiran Sahota – President, Concepts Forward Consulting
  • Melanie Scott – Assistant Deputy Director, Community Forensic Partnerships Division, Department of State Hospitals
  • Albert M. Senella – President, California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives; President and Chief Executive Officer, Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. 
  • Adrienne Shilton – Director of Public Policy and Strategy, The California Alliance of Child and Family Services
  • Linda Tomasello – Consultant, Crisis Intervention Training
  • Liz Castillon Vice – Staff Services Manager II, Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health
  • Kit Wall– Words to Deeds Project Director, Kit Wall Productions
  • Tracey Whitney– Assistant Head Deputy, Writs & Appeals Division, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
  • Molly Willenbring– Executive Director, First Responder Support Network
  • Helene Zentner– Field Representative, California Board of State and Community Corrections
  • Carrie Zoller– Supervising Attorney, Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts