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Collateral Damage: Mental Illness, Public Systems, and the Catastrophic Price of Doing Nothing
What happens when mental illness collides with broken systems—and no one is prepared to respond?
In Collateral Damage, criminologist and former law enforcement officer Jesse Treviño exposes the catastrophic cost of ignoring mental illness in America’s public systems. Drawing on his own journey through trauma, PTSD, and crisis work, Treviño delivers an unflinching look at how law enforcement, healthcare, and policy too often fail the very people they claim to protect.
From the frontlines of police patrols to the silence of overcrowded emergency rooms, Treviño reveals the human stories behind the statistics—stories of stigma, survival, and the desperate need for reform.
Inside this powerful book, you’ll myths that fuel stigma and why they keep people from seeking help.How the criminal justice system became the de facto mental health system—and why it’s failing.Firsthand stories of crisis response, both successful and devastating.The truth about the link between mental illness and violence (it’s not what the media tells you).Practical lessons for police, policymakers, families, and communities.A call to action for compassion, reform, and resilience.
Collateral Damage is more than analysis—it’s a wake-up call. Whether you’re a first responder, policymaker, healthcare worker, or family member, this book will challenge your assumptions and equip you to see the person behind the diagnosis.
Perfect for readers who are interested illness & public safetyCrisis intervention & law enforcementPTSD, trauma, and resilienceCriminal justice and systemic reformBooks on stigma, empathy, and recovery
If you believe public safety and mental health are inseparable, this book is for you.
Because empathy isn’t the opposite of safety—it is safety.
In Collateral Damage, criminologist and former law enforcement officer Jesse Treviño exposes the catastrophic cost of ignoring mental illness in America’s public systems. Drawing on his own journey through trauma, PTSD, and crisis work, Treviño delivers an unflinching look at how law enforcement, healthcare, and policy too often fail the very people they claim to protect.
From the frontlines of police patrols to the silence of overcrowded emergency rooms, Treviño reveals the human stories behind the statistics—stories of stigma, survival, and the desperate need for reform.
Inside this powerful book, you’ll myths that fuel stigma and why they keep people from seeking help.How the criminal justice system became the de facto mental health system—and why it’s failing.Firsthand stories of crisis response, both successful and devastating.The truth about the link between mental illness and violence (it’s not what the media tells you).Practical lessons for police, policymakers, families, and communities.A call to action for compassion, reform, and resilience.
Collateral Damage is more than analysis—it’s a wake-up call. Whether you’re a first responder, policymaker, healthcare worker, or family member, this book will challenge your assumptions and equip you to see the person behind the diagnosis.
Perfect for readers who are interested illness & public safetyCrisis intervention & law enforcementPTSD, trauma, and resilienceCriminal justice and systemic reformBooks on stigma, empathy, and recovery
If you believe public safety and mental health are inseparable, this book is for you.
Because empathy isn’t the opposite of safety—it is safety.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
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December 28, 2025
Insightful, real-life proposals to wholistically reform our mental health system, from the author's lived experiences as a police officer and systems catalyst. I wholeheartedly agree with his biases and conclusions. The reason I gave this book a 4 instead of a 5 is because he threw me off at the beginning by stressing the simplistic saw that people with mental illness are no more violent than anyone else. As the book went on, he more than made up for that by highlighting complexities of risk assessment and the many layers involved. I have never read a book about improving our mental health system with as much common sense as this one.
Displaying 1 of 1 review