Cedric D. Leonard is an investigator for COMPACT within the district attorney’s office in Shelby County, Alabama, a multijurisdictional task force that works with at-risk teenagers and their families to help steer them away from the juvenile justice system. He has been a mental health therapist for more 14 years, including more than eight years working in treatment courts as a therapist and compliance officer. A proud U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Leonard has worked in law enforcement for more than 22 years and was the first law enforcement officer in Alabama to become certified as an instructor in mental health first aid. He authored Crisis Intervention Training curriculum for first responders that has been endorsed by the Alabama Department of Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Alabama and accredited by the state’s nursing, counseling, and social work boards for continuing education.

Mr. Leonard uses his educational and professional expertise to provide prevention, intervention, and educational training at conferences, in schools, and in communities on substance use, mental health, and crisis intervention. He is the second vice president of the board of directors for the NAMI Alabama, and he also serves as a member of the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s State Prevention Advisory Board. He received his bachelor of science degree in psychology and master of science degree in mental health counseling from Alabama State University.