Fayette County making strides in helping those with mental health issues
The following is the conclusion of a two-day series on mental health issues in the criminal justice system.
The closure of mental health facilities across the state has placed a burden on municipal authorities to provide the needed care of those suffering with depression, anxiety, trauma or some other debilitating psychological disease.
Within the past decade, correctional facilities have struggled with implementing programs to diagnose and then treat those that have become a part of their system, according to recent studies.
While more can be done, Fayette County officials believe progress is being made here.
Four years ago, county behavioral health agencies, the judiciary and law enforcement instituted a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), and most recently a mental health court, to decrease admissions to jail, engage individuals in treatment as soon as possible and minimize the time within the criminal justice system.
Connellsville police officer Andy Hominsky was one of the first municipal officers to take the one-week, CIT training, and has found it to be helpful as many of the calls he and other officers are dispatched to are related to some mental or behavioral health problem.
“By asking one or two questions, I can now figure out what is going on,” he said. “It is now much easier to handle a situation.”
Hominsky said that the training allows him to now distinguish between someone suffering with depression, schizophrenia or some other mental health issue, and what steps to take.
“It has been very helpful to our department,” he said.
While some matters can be diffused at the scene, other times officers have to make arrests when a crime has been committed.
In the past, the person was arraigned by the local magisterial district judge and in most cases taken to the county lockup.
However, with the recent implementation of a mental health court program, law enforcement and the district judges have an alternative.
Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr. said that on average he utilizes the diversionary program once or twice each month.
“The police officers are now able to give me advance notice about an individual that may be eligible for the program,” he said. “After they are arraigned I notify Kate (Vozar) and she works with them.”
Vozar, coordinator of the Fayette County Problem-Solving Courts, said the specialty courts bring together county providers with prosecutors, legal counsel and judges to develop a plan for those with mental health issues that have been charged with a crime.
“At first there was the thought that this program was a ‘get out of jail free card’, but it is not,” she said. “The ones in this program have to work very hard and want to get better.”
Once notified by the district magistrates of the arraignment, Vozar meets with the potential program participant to begin a needs assessment.
The first phase is a diagnosis.
The most prevalent mental health issues are bi-polar disease, anxiety and depression, with the majority of program participants found to also have a drug or alcohol dependence that has led them being charged with retail theft, assault or driving under the influence.
“If the charges are drug-related or alcohol-related, an assessment is completed for that in addition to the mental health,” said Vozar. “We want to get them into a treatment program as soon as possible.”
While the charges become somewhat secondary, they are not forgotten.
Vozar, along with the county district attorney, public defender, Court of Common Pleas representatives and others devise a plan that will allow the participant to receive the needed treatment, but also meet the legal requirements.
Not everyone is eligible for the program. For instance, some first time offenders can take part in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) and those with less than a 12 month sentence are unable to enter the court program.
A requirement is that participants must plead guilty to the charges and agree to take part in an intense treatment program.
Vozar said that the plan typically includes individual and group counseling sessions; meetings with a case manager and participating in a variety of other programs, if needed.
“Most of them are on medication, so they will have an appointment with a psychiatrist,” said Vozar. “If they are on medication assistance for drug or alcohol, such as Suboxone or methadone, there is a related appointment.
“They have to check in once a month with their probation officer and with the judge, and more often if they are having issues.
“It is not easy.”
Vozar checks in daily with the providers to ensure there is compliance by the participants.
There are consequences for missed counseling sessions or meetings, but the return to jail is the last option.
“If there is a breach, typically the number of meetings or check-ins are increased,” said Vozar, adding that some may be required to enter a confined treatment program. “Taking them out of the program is the last scenario and that seldom happens.”
About 70 people are currently in the mental health program.
“Our participants do very well,” said Vozar. “We see very low recidivism.”
Fayette County Prison Warden Brian Miller said that the diversionary program is very helpful as it lessens the burden inside the lockup and gets those diagnosed with the most severe mental health problems the treatment that is needed.
“If they become a part of our system, it is very difficult to transfer them out,” he said.