Sgt. Weidenhammer was selected from among the more than 500 CIT-trained officers in Collier County. During her career she has responded to hundreds of calls involving persons with mental illness – always calm, sincere and conveying the message of help and hope.
Among those calls was one that came earlier this year involving a North Naples man who had grown increasingly despondent over the past four years. In fact, he was no longer eating properly, was not taking care of himself and was barely getting out of bed each day. The man’s elderly father called NAMI asking for help.
NAMI reached out to Sgt. Weidenhammer, who responded to the man’s home and ultimately convinced him to be transported for in-patient treatment.
This man recently stopped by the NAMI office and thanked the staff for “calling the cops” on him. He reported that his life was back on track thanks to the treatment he received following his visit from Sgt. Weidenhammer.
Sgt. Weidenhammer was presented with the award by Nancy Schultz, president of NAMI of Collier County, and Sheriff Kevin Rambosk during NAMI’s annual luncheon Dec. 2 at the Naples Hilton.
