ValueOptions®' Court Advocacy and Jail Diversion Programs Improve Outcomes and Reduce Crime Rate Among Severely Mentally Ill
Behavioral Health Program - a Collaboration of Maricopa County Comprehensive Mental Health Court, Maricopa County Adult Probation, and ValueOptions - to be presented as a Model Program at National GAINS Conference April 5-7
Phoenix, Arizona — March 29, 2006
ValueOptions, the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) for Maricopa County, announced today that its Court Advocacy and Jail Diversion programs, in partnership with Maricopa County Comprehensive Mental Health Court and Maricopa County Adult Probation, have significantly reduced the rate of new offences (recidivism) among offenders with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) to five percent, nearly half the relapse rate of general population offenders.
"Now we have evidence that appropriate response addressing the treatment needs of people with mental illness both reduces the crime rate and improves public safety," said Shelley Curran, Director of Court Advocacy and Jail Diversion programs for ValueOptions Arizona. "With 9 percent recidivism among general offenders, the success of the collaboration between ValueOptions and the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department SMI Unit perfectly illustrates how coordination between the criminal justice and behavioral health systems can successfully improve offender outcomes and reduce the use of costly and ineffective jail days."
The ValueOptions Jail Diversion program currently has a 70 percent completion rate for persons with SMI who have been booked into Maricopa County Jail, which results in avoiding additional jail time by having charges dropped after successful participation in mental health treatment. This unique partnership among judicial officers, attorneys, ValueOptions' treatment providers, and correctional service personnel overcomes fragmentation in the continuity of care for mental health consumers in the justice system by improving communication and collaboration. When persons with SMI are booked into jail, the ValueOptions Jail Diversion Team intervenes on behalf of them to prevent inappropriate jail sentencing by accurately identifying, treating and applying mental health services.
"The need for good collaboration between the criminal justice and mental health systems is absolutely critical," said Michael S. Shafer, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the College of Human Services at Arizona State University, and a consultant to the Maricopa County Superior Court. "The ValueOptions/Maricopa County Adult Probation partnership is a good example of this. Together, they have made great strides in strengthening the partnership between the bench and behavioral health system."
Each month, between 250 and 300 persons with SMI are booked by police in Maricopa County. Within 15 minutes of being booked, the ValueOptions Jail Diversion Team is notified via its proprietary Data Link System that connects them directly to the Sheriff's Office. The Diversion Team – a clinical coordinator and two clinical court liaisons – works quickly to meet with the client, makes an assessment, attends the preliminary hearing, and coordinates with the court system to identify alternatives to jail.
The program's success is confirmed through personal stories of persons with SMI who have been through the process. Arthur, diagnosed with schizophrenia, who was recommended to the Comprehensive Mental Health court, is a good example. "Judge Hyatt saved my life… I didn't need to be on the street yet, I needed to be in a place with more structure," said Arthur. "My PO [Parole Officer] and the team at ValueOptions, they got together and discussed what I needed. Then they brought me in and asked me what I want. The people at ValueOptions, they helped me get back on my meds. They told me… that I could move forward. My family wants me around and I feel better about who I've become."
Recognized nationally for its success, the ValueOptions/Maricopa County Comprehensive Mental Health Court and Maricopa County and Adult Probation partnerships will be presented at the National GAINS Center's 2006 National Conference – "System Transformation at the Interface of the Criminal Justice and Mental Health System" – April 5-7, 2006 in Boston, MA, as an example of innovative programs being developed which transform the treatment and recovery of persons with SMI. The National GAINS Center, which has operated since 1995, collects and disseminates information about effective mental health and substance abuse services for people with co-occurring disorders in the justice system.
Formal jail diversion consists of three types of intervention: Clients may be released from jail with conditions that include treatment; clients may be place on unsupervised probation, which includes mandatory treatment; or, clients may be given the opportunity for deferred prosecution in an intervention that includes increased judicial participation and supervision, as well as required treatment over a specified period of time.
ValueOptions' Jail Diversion Program intervenes on behalf of persons with SMI to prevent inappropriate jail sentencing through the accurate identification, treatment and application of associated mental health services. The program identifies persons with SMI and works with them at four critical points in the criminal justice system:
- Upon initial contact with law enforcement officers specially trained through ValueOptions' Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to identify and manage SMI behavior,
- Upon booking, through ValueOptions' proprietary Jail Data Link System with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, to readily determine individuals who may be eligible for diversion from the criminal justice system,
- Upon conviction, to determine appropriate sentencing, including jail diversion, through ValueOptions' collaboration with the Maricopa County Comprehensive Mental Health Court,
- Upon parole, through ValueOptions' Correctional Officer/Offender Liaison (COOL) Program, to facilitate successful re-integration of persons with SMI into the community.
The program also includes education, advocacy and outreach to help communities engage in the successful reintegration of recovered SMI clients.
