The White Plains Mental Health Outreach Team (MHOT) is a division of White Plains Public Safety that works in crisis intervention and prevention for mental health.

On Wednesday, March 4, The Orange had the opportunity to interview the team in Officer McCormick’s room. Detectives Fred Cianci, Kermar McKenzie and Jason R. Lacayo are the members of the MHOT.

Of course, you cannot forget the lovely Homer.

The detectives have been working on the team for over a decade across the City of White Plains.

“That’s the crazy thing about mental health, is that it knows no bounds, no limits, no social class no specific race,” said Detective Cianci. “We have to be super adaptable and be able to deal with all different walks of life, dealing with all different types of traumas.”

The detectives do not wear uniforms. They come not as law enforcement; they come as human beings.

“We’re all unique in our own personalities and our techniques, so it kind of gives us a broad landscape of dealing with any type of person that may come our way,” Detective McKenzie added. “There’s a barrier there sometimes getting through to these people that might be going through a crisis, so we kind of lean on each other for help.”

They described Homer as the “ambassador for the department,” starting the conversation and helping people feel comfortable.

“And it’s hard. [The victim] comes there, she’s scared, doesn’t know what to expect. But then Homer comes trotting in, sits with her, kind of hangs out with her for a little bit,” Cianci said. “Because at one point, she’s going to have to retell that story and relive what she went through.”

Detective Lacayo had another story to share.

“My first week in the unit, we ended up having a situation where we talked somebody out of a crisis. And we were able to talk her off the roof.”

High school students can greatly benefit from the Outreach Team. They can reach out to SROs like Officer McCormick to request a conversation, support or even just a meeting with Homer.

“Nobody’s needs are the same,” Detective Cianci said. He described the many resources high schoolers could contact—therapists, social workers and clinicians. “But I would hate for somebody to look at that and say, ‘Well, this is all that’s out there,’ when there’s such a wide variety.”

They also spoke on the importance of helping people—and the warning signs that come with mental health struggles.

“Keep the conversation going. I would say if you see somebody who’s upset, you see somebody who’s down, talk to them,” Detective Cianci said. He described a piece of advice given to him by his priest on his wedding day. “‘I prefer the funerals. Weddings, everybody’s happy, everybody’s excited… they want to get it over with.’ He said, ‘funerals, people are at their worst… When people are at their worst, they’re truly hanging on to every word you say. Everything you say matters to them. And it’s the real opportunity to change somebody’s life or help them through crisis’.”

The other detectives had additional pieces to share.

“I say this a lot—there’s three things I don’t have to worry about: food, shelter water,” Detective Lacayo said. “Because when I go to work, I see that people don’t have those things, and they don’t take that for granted… Somehow, the cards were dealt that way, and a lot of them, they lose hope. And sometimes when they see us, we’re that little bit of hope that they have.”

To high schoolers, Detective McKenzie said, “Check on your loved ones. I know you might think that in high school you’re young and you don’t have a lot of say in certain things, but it means a lot. Just as simple as that gets the conversation going.”

Warning signs they described were big changes in behavior and body language. They also described the importance of being an active listener for your loved ones.

“Don’t be afraid to be open with your friends,” Detective Cianci said.

The detectives weren’t always part of MHOT.

Detective Fred Cianci has served White Plains for over 17 years, specializing in mental health outreach, crisis intervention, de-escalation and officer training. He is an FBI-certified negotiator and instructor.

Detective Jason R. Lacayo has been a police officer for over 19 years, including time with the New York Police Department. He is an Emergency Services Unit officer with the White Plains Police Department.

Detective Kermar McKenzie has been a police officer for 11 years, starting with the New York Police Department. He transferred to White Plains and started with the Westchester County Police Academy in 2020. He is also the father of WPHS junior Ava McKenzie.

Homer is a 2-year-old yellow Labrador, trained as a therapy dog through Puppies Behind Bars. This organization has inmates raise dogs from 8 weeks to 18 months, training them to help people through traumatic incidents. He is loved by all in White Plains Public Safety and beyond.

Whether you want to serve White Plains, have a conversation or simply learn more, the MHOT is a great resource.