[acb-hsp] FW: CP Newsletter: How Manchester (NH) Used Data to Improve Mental Health Diversion Programs

[Baracco, Andrew W]

This is interesting!

Andy

Subject: CP Newsletter: How Manchester (NH) Used Data to Improve Mental Health Diversion Programs

 

Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/r/> 


September 2011 e-newsletter


Using Data to Maximize the Results of Diversion Programs Targeting People with Mental Illnesses: What Other Counties Can Learn from Hillsborough County (Manchester), NH <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/y/> 


No one needed to tell Hillsborough County Jail Superintendent James O’Mara or New Hampshire District Court Judge James Leary that more people with serious mental illnesses were locked up in the local jail than ever before. What they didn’t know--until they requested an analysis from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) looking at who was admitted to the jail and how long they stayed--was what was driving that growth.

In a report prepared by the CSG Justice Center, which was made possible through BJA funding support, county officials learned that the average length of stay for pretrial detainees was three times longer than other pretrial detainees who were not identified as having a serious mental illness.

“The numbers were a slap in the face,” said Judge Leary. “We suspected that people with mental illnesses might stay in jail pretrial a little bit longer than the general population, but I don’t think anybody realized the extent of the difference.”

Further analysis demonstrated that this differential in length of stay existed regardless of whether the defendant was charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. In other words, people with mental illnesses were not staying in jail pending their trial simply because they were charged with committing more serious crimes than people without mental illnesses.

Hillsborough officials had different theories why it took three times longer to release a person with a serious mental illness on bond, sentence him or her to time served, or process him or her to state prison than it did for a person who was not identified as having a serious mental illness.

Defense attorneys noted that clients with mental illnesses often couldn’t make bail because they, and their families, lacked the resources to assist them. Corrections officials observed that defendants with serious mental illnesses frequently did not advocate effectively before the court for their pretrial release. Mental health professionals explained that the county’s lack of affordable housing and a shortage of short- and long-term psychiatric beds meant there were few options available to court officials other than releasing these defendants to the streets. At the same time, judges and prosecutors expressed concern that in many instances releasing people with serious mental illnesses to the community on personal recognizance could compromise public safety.

Whatever the reason, the additional length of stay was costing the county a lot of money without providing any commensurate increase in public safety, as the defendants, who had languished in jail for an additional 36 days on average, were returned to the community without the necessary connections to community-based mental health treatment and services.

“The report opened everyone’s eyes to issues we’ve been wrestling with for years,” said Superintendent O’Mara. “We realized we needed to pay closer attention to why they stayed so long prior to trial and what we could do to address the problem.”

Click here <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/j/>  to continue reading about how Hillsborough County officials used these startling findings to tweak existing programs and develop new programs to provide a comprehensive, system-wide responses to the fact that people with mental illnesses stayed in jail so much longer.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 


Enroll in Upcoming Training on Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/t/> 


The Adolescent Substance Abuse Skills Effectiveness Training (ASSET) is a cognitive behavioral intervention delivered to groups of adolescents twice a week for ten weeks. It derives from motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as other research-based strategies for substance abusing and delinquent youth.

On December 8-9, 2011, Weber (UT) Human Services will host an intensive training on how to administer ASSET in Ogden, Utah. The training will be conducted by Darin Carver, LCSW, an experienced therapist and trainer with extensive background working with delinquent and substance-abusing teens. The registration fee is $235.

To download a brochure and registration form, click here <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/i/> . 

For more information about this training, call (801) 778-6860 or email rondad at weberhs.org.

PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES 


Exploring the Moderating Effects of Mental Illness on Parole Release Decisions <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/d/> 


This study examined whether or not the factors that primarily influenced parole release decisions were similar for inmates with and without mental illness. The study concluded that the lack of any moderating effects of mental illness on the risk factors for recidivism explored in this study suggests that an inmate’s mental illness does not play much of a role in parole release decisions.


Examining Prevailing Beliefs About People with Serious Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/h/> 


The article first provides background information on the long-standing problem of people with serious mental illness (PSMI) being processed through the criminal justice system instead of the mental health system. It explores theories related to the causes of the overrepresentation of people with mental illnesses in the justice system, including deinstitutionalization. The article then briefly describes programs that have been implemented to serve PSMI under the authority of law enforcement, courts, and corrections. The difficulty of managing PSMI in the criminal justice system is further complicated by mental illness being only one of a number of problems experienced by criminally involved PSMI.


Use of Mental Health Services and Barriers to Care for Individuals on Probation or Parole <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/k/> 


Prior research with incarcerated populations and individuals on parole or probation suggests that significant rates of mental health problems and histories of traumatic events exist among these groups. However, limited research has explored mental health treatment-seeking and barriers to accessing mental health care for individuals on parole or probation. The current study assessed mental health symptoms, mental health services use in the past year, and barriers to service access for a sample of individuals on probation and parole (N = 100). The most commonly reported concerns were depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Slightly more than half of the sample reported seeking mental health care in the past year. For those who felt they needed care, but did not seek these services, not having health insurance and not being able to afford treatment were the most commonly cited reasons. Implications of these findings are discussed. 


The Next Generation of Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Interventions: Improving Outcomes by Improving Interventions <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/u/> 


The purpose of this monograph is to suggest ways to build and improve upon first generation interventions and develop the “next generation” of behavioral health and criminal justice interventions — interventions that better address the multiple and complex needs of persons with SMI who are at risk of criminal justice involvement. To download this monograph, click here <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/o/> .


Mental and Substance Use Disorders among Adult Men on Probation or Parole: Some Success against a Persistent Challenge <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/b/> 


Researchers found the study found that probationers and parolees were more likely than the general population to receive some mental health treatment. However, they were also more likely to report an unmet need for mental health treatment. The rate of probationers and parolees with mental disorders who accessed treatment or reported an unmet treatment remained unchanged over the years the study covered. Researchers also found significantly lower rates of substance abuse disorders among probationers and parolees in 2009 compared to previous years. At the same time the percentage of parolees who received substance abuse treatment increased. The study also found the rate of probationers and parolees who reported an unmet need for substance abuse treatment was lower in 2009 than in previous years. 


Co-occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders Within a Countywide System: Who Interfaces With the Jail and Who Does Not? <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/n/> 


The presence of a co-occurring substance use disorder increases the risk of incarceration for those with a serious mental illness. To examine the interface between jail and mental health systems, a sample of 1,440 individuals diagnosed with both disorders was followed for 48 months using administrative data. The majority (63 percent) experienced incarceration with a median length of stay of 14 days. Predictors of incarceration were a more severe substance use diagnosis and younger age. These findings inform community-wide discussions aimed at enhancing coordination and collaboration between systems with the specific goal of decreasing the high prevalence of jail interface for this population. 

CJ/MH IN THE NEWS 

Articles from newspapers around the country covering issues at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice can be found on the Consensus Project website. Some recent headlines from the homepage are posted below.


Concord Monitor (NH) — Some victims refuse help <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/p/> 


9/28/11 — "Clyde 'Bruce' Gaunt, was shot and killed by Concord police in the home of his mother, Louise Jobin, in September 2006. At the time Gaunt was not taking medication prescribed to him to treat bipolar disorder."


Concord Monitor (NH) — Last line in mental crisis <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/x/> 


9/27/11 — "[Sgt.] Burke runs Rochester's Crisis Intervention Team, a group of 14 patrol officers specially trained to respond to mental health calls and to de-escalate dangerous situations."


The Olympian (WA) — Veterans Court puts its focus on helping those in trouble <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/m/> 


9/15/11 — "Thurston County was the first county in the state to create a Veterans Court. It was among the first dozen such courts in the entire nation."


NewsReview.com (CA) — Two-tiered mental-health system <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/c/> 


9/15/11 — "Seven years after voters went to the polls saying they were tired of substandard community mental-health care, there is tarnish on the promise of Proposition 63." 


Chciago Tribune (IL) — Mentally ill and behind bars <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/q/> 


9/15/11 — "Cook County Jail's sizable mentally ill population has transformed the detention center into Illinois' largest psychiatric facility."


The Seattle Medium (WA) — County Council Establishes Veterans Treatment Court <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/a/> 


9/14/11 — "On Monday, The King County Council unanimously adopted an ordinance giving the green light to establish a new Veterans Treatment Court as a special unit of the County’s nationally-recognized Regional Mental Health Court."


NPR (CA) — Calif. Medicaid Expansion: A Lifeline For Ex-Convicts <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/f/> 


9/13/11 — "California has embarked on an ambitious expansion of its Medicaid program, three years ahead of the federal expansion that the health law requires in 2014."


Issaquah Press (WA) — County establishes Veterans Treatment Court, focuses on rehabilitation <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/z/> 


9/12/11 — "King County Council members agreed Monday to create a special treatment court for veterans charged for nonviolent crimes." 


NPR — Nation's jails struggle with mentally ill prisoners <http://councilofstategovernmentsjusticecenter.createsend5.com/t/r/l/thaiut/yudjyujlr/v/> 


9/4/11 — "Three hundred and fifty thousand: That's a conservative estimate for the number of offenders with mental illness confined in America's prisons and jails."

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