Judge Steven Leifman from Miami-Dade’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in Florida was once just a regular judge. Now he is a certified celebrity in the world of behavioral health treatment.

He became a celebrity just by his sheer ability to bring people to the discussion table, determination and use of best practices to make something happen that had never happened before. For 20 years, he collaborated with behavioral health experts, law enforcement, judges, treatment courts, public defenders, social workers, peer support staff and the Miami business community to create a solid and successful solution to treating those with mental health and addiction issues living in Miami.

The very same population are among those unhoused and living on the streets of most every city in America. It has been well-proven drugs fuel most crime. Leifman learned Miami could not incarcerate its way out of its behavioral health crisis. Hard work and dedication created the Miami Model, but ultimately it took a very strong state political will for change to make the model grow into the successful continuum of care it is today.