Mental Health & Substance Abuse
Mental Health & Substance Abuse Subcommittee
The purpose of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Subcommittee is to develop efficient and effective case processing of persons with mental illness or substance abuse problems in the criminal justice system, using available system resources. The Subcommittee's current focus in the area of mental health is on improving policy, programs and operations pertaining to (1) diversion from the criminal justice system, (2) housing for mentally ill offenders, (3) co-occurring disorders, (4) medical benefits, (5) medication issues and (6) collaboration/sharing of information and resources. The Subcommittee uses the National GAINS Center's Sequential Intercept Model as a framework to systematically identify needs relevant to these six areas.
Harriet Hall, president and CEO of Jefferson Center for Mental Health, is the chair. Meetings are monthly. The Subcommittee has been examining mental health issues since 2002, and added substance abuse issues in 2007. Please contact Sue Ferrere or Mike Jones for more information.
Current Projects
Jefferson County Partners Promoting Independence
The Subcommittee recently formalized the local criminal justice/behavioral health systems collaboration as Jefferson County Partners Promoting Independence (JPPI). The purpose of JPPI is to provide the most cost-effective services and resources to mentally ill persons who are involved in the Jefferson County criminal justice system so that their mental illness no longer contributes to their involvement in the justice system. The vision of JPPI is an intercept-spanning, collaborative and integrated system that identifies and treats individuals with mental illness or co-occurring disorders at the earliest possible intercept. The Subcommittee continues to apply the Sequential Intercept Model to address remaining gaps, including improving system coordination, expanding access to services for individuals on pretrial supervision, and increasing referrals from intercept 1. For more information on this endeavor, please contact Sue Ferrere.
Recently Completed Projects
Medication Assistance Program
While in the Jefferson County Detention Facility, mentally ill inmates who need psychiatric medications receive them through the jail psychiatrist. Upon release, uninterrupted 
access to prescription psychiatric medication can be central to a successful transition into the community for these individuals. This continuity of care allows the individual to focus on accessing community services, initiating benefit re-instatement, re-establishing family relationships, and obtaining housing and employement. The 1st Judicial District Probation Deparment and the Jefferson Center for Mental Health (JCMH) are collaborating in a pilot project that provides 30 days of prescription medications and case management to mentally ill inmates requiring psychiatric medications who are discharged from the jail. Criminal Justice Planning will evaluate the pilot project, and if the project is successful, the Subcommittee will explore options for sustainability. Please contact Sue Ferrere or Mike Jones for more information.
Criminal Justice/Mental Health Integrated Case Management Project
Criminal Justice Planning staff provided data and analysis, and assisted the grant writer to prepare a grant proposal to the Colorado Health Foundation. The proposal, which received funding in March 2006, now operates as the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Integrated Case Management Project. This project is designed to provide crucial case management services to mentally ill persons in, or discharged from, the criminal justice system. The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Subcommittee, with Criminal Justice Planning staff support, continues to help the project coordinators with input on policy matters. For more information on this project, please contact Sue Ferrere.
Community-Based Treatment Program Recommendation
In 2004, the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation authorizing the Sheriff to implement a book
ing fee, which would be collected from arrestees as they enter the Jefferson County Detention Facility. The statute authorizing the booking fee states that 20 percent of the revenue generated by that fee must be spent on a "community-based treatment program" for offenders with mental illness or addiction. Criminal Justice Planning helped the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Subcommittee design a formal recommendation to the Sheriff, which details a program that includes in-facility mental health case managers, an indigent offender housing option and extensive ties to existing Jefferson County mental health resources located outside the Detention Facility. Please contact Mike Jones for more information on this program.
Increased Use of the Colorado Criminal Justice Mental Health Screen - Adult
The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Subcommittee increased the use of the Colorado Criminal Justice Mental Health Screen Adult (CCJMHS-A), a standardized, validated mental health screen designed to reliably detect mental illness (including co-occurring substance abuse), to minimize needless assessment, and to be used for prevalence estimates at multiple times and in multiple systems. In the Jefferson County Detentions Facility, the screen will be computerized to ease data collection and retrieval. Probation and community corrections programs are also using the Screen. Please contact Mike Jones for more information.
Last Modified: Mar 1, 2011 10:49 AM
