West Texas Centers is leading a revolutionary program that provides care for those living with mental health and substance abuse issues, who typically are incarcerated because of a lack of resources.
The Crisis Receiving Center/Jail Diversion program or the CR/JDC program is the brainchild of West Texas Centers, the Howard County Sheriff’s Department and the Big Spring Police Department.
The three entities along with other major players, including Scenic Mountain Medical Center, Veterans Affairs and City and County Court justices and judges have worked tirelessly for this day, West Texas Centers CEO Shelley Smith said.
“We have known for a very long time that the only way to get these services introduced is to sit down at the table and focus on the person who needs help and the community that wants to be a part of the solution,” Smith said.
The CR/JDC program will open Sept. 1, at 3205 S. Hwy 87, Big Spring, TX. The facility will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will be staffed by West Texas Center employees and contractors from the Wood Corporation, said Patricia Watlington, Deputy Director of Behavioral Health Essential Services for West Texas Centers.
“We want to reach individuals who tend to spiral because of a lack of resources for their illness,” she said. “There is no place for them so they end up in our county jail system until they have served their time or can bond out.”
“We believe this voluntary; wraparound approach we have spent years planning will help consumers meet their treatment goals while fostering a safe environment.”
When law enforcement identifies people of interest who may be living with mental illness or substance abuse and who may have an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor, they will be transported to the facility, which can care for six consumers at a time, Watlington said. The program is open to people older than 18 years of age.
They may also have a suspected diagnosis of major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, PTSD, with or without substance abuse disorder. Consumers also may be living with other special needs, such as homelessness and may have a misdemeanor charge. Most importantly, the consumer must agree to participate in services.
“We want the drop-off process at the CR/JDC to be as simplified as possible for law enforcement, Watlington said. “They are instrumental in this process and we want to conserve their time.”
A Certified Peer Specialist worker will provide intake upon arrival and then begin the person-centered approach that will teach skills empowering consumers to become self-sufficient and productive members of society by educating them about their diagnosis and how to effectively manage their symptoms, Big Spring Police Chief Chad Williams said.
“We have all communicated and worked together for a long time on solving this growing trend in our communities,” Williams said. “The CR/JDC program gives us another avenue and a stronger avenue to place consumers who previously were in limbo between the mental health system, substance abuse care and the criminal justice system.”
Once the consumer is acclimated into the system they will be provided with a Transition Plan, which will include a doctor’s appointment. The participant will then be on the Qualified Mental Health Professional’s caseload for 90 days while working toward his or her transition goals, Watlington said.
The aim of the program is to promote and improve mental health for consumers by teaching skills that empower them to become self-sufficient and become productive members of society in the least intrusive manner, Howard County Sheriff Stan Parker said.
“We are very interested in diverting people from jail who need assistance with their illnesses,” Parker said. “The number of individuals with a serious mental illness who have been incarcerated on public disorder charges is approximately 20 per month and three-fourths of those are for non-violent public disorder charges. The cost can run over a million dollars a year for care in the county jails, and nearly $60,000 for court-appointed attorneys, court fees and law enforcement officer’s time.”
Many of the individuals will wait nearly two months for a court date and most do not have the financial resources to bond themselves out of jail, Parker said.
Howard County is the only county out of the 23 counties served to participate in this program. The program will cost less than a half million dollars in operational costs and will be funded with contracts from the state and managed by West Texas Centers.
“Before this program, if a person does not qualify for hospitalization through West Texas Center’s crisis services and or has committed a public nuisance charge, the only place law enforcement could take them to was the county jail,” Watlington said.
“The goal of this program is to be proactive and to keep them out of jail. Jail is no place for people living with mental illness or recovering from substance abuse problems.”
West Texas Centers has provided mental and behavioral health services for individuals in 23 counties covering an area of 25,000 square miles since 1997.
West Texas Centers operates a 24-hour Crisis Hotline. For more information, call 1-800-375-4357.
Comments