OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - It is graduation day for a group of Sarpy County Correctional officers who received additional training, giving them the tools to better understand inmates who are suffering from mental health issues.

“How do I think about things at times, when people are, you know, in my face?” asks Gary Stessman, program director for behavioral sciences at Bellevue University.

Stessman was speaking to graduates of the university’s mental health scare certificate program.

They are now more ready to deal with inmates who might be incarcerated due to issues beyond their control.

“And who are hungry, angry, tired, confused, scared, traumatized. That dynamic between the professional and the individual, whether it’s a client or a patient, or an inmate... it comes together aggressively

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