Joint Study Committee
on Treatment Options
for Offenders who have Mental Illness or
Substance Abuse Disorders (SJR 97/HJR 142, 2002)
Joint Commission on Behavioral
Health Care
and the Virginia Commission on Youth
Committee Studying Treatment
Options
for Offenders with Mental Illness or Substance Abuse Disorders
SJR 97/HJR 142 (2002)
Nancy L. Roberts
Division of Legislative Services
June 28, 2002
Presentation Outline
- Actions on SJR 440 Recommendations
- SJR 97/HJR 142 Study Mandates
- Proposed Work Plan
SJR 440 Findings/Actions
Interagency collaboration. Formal
state and local interagency collaboration and clearly defined responsibilities
for serving adult and juvenile offenders with mental illness are needed
in many communities across the Commonwealth.
General Assembly Actions. SJR 97/HJR
142 continues the study committee and authorizes an interagency work group
to:
- Develop a regional planning process
and a screening-assessment-treatment model;
- Make recommendations concerning the
statutory assignment of responsibility for providing needed treatment
services;
- Create model memoranda of agreement;
and
- Establish a framework to test the memoranda
and evaluate the results.
Capacity. Many communities in Virginia
lack sufficient capacity to treat offenders with mental illness and substance
abuse disorders while they are incarcerated and when they are released
from state correctional facilities, jails or detention homes.
General Assembly Actions.
- SJR 97/HJR 142 requests an examination
of ways for offenders to gain access to medications and immediate access
to Medicaid benefits when they are no longer incarcerated.
- 2002-2004 Appropriation Act addresses:
- Access to psychiatric care by jail
inmates;
- Plan for children’s services, including
juvenile offenders;
- Expanded use of telepsychiatry;
- Incentives to create residential
and acute psychiatric beds for juvenile offenders; and
- Feasibility of a web-based system
of daily updated information on available inpatient psychiatric beds
for children and adolescents.
Clinical Guidelines. The Commonwealth
has not developed clinical guidelines for local and regional jails or
detention homes that would ensure an adequate level of mental health services
for offenders. As a result, uniform screening and assessments, access
to services and discharge plans are not available in many jails or detention
homes.
General Assembly Actions. SJR 97/HJR
142 requests the Department of Juvenile Justice to design and implement
uniform mental health screening for juvenile offenders admitted to secure
detention facilities and to make recommendations concerning uniform screening
for pre-dispositional investigations. Appropriation language directing
development of minimum clinical guidelines was not approved.
Cross Training. Cross training
is needed for law enforcement, judges, jail and detention staff and community
treatment staff to balance therapeutic goals with security needs and public
safety.
General Assembly Action. SJR 97/HJR
142 requests the DMHMRSAS, in conjunction with the Office of Executive
Secretary of the Supreme Court and the Departments of Criminal Justice
Services and Juvenile Justice, to develop and make recommendations for
implementing a cross-training curriculum.
Data Collection and Evaluation.
No comprehensive mechanism exists to systematically collect thorough and
accurate data on treatment services provided to and needed by adult and
juvenile offenders or to evaluate the effectiveness of the services.
General Assembly Actions.
- SJR 97/HJR 142 requests the Secretary
of Public Safety to develop a plan for collecting and evaluating data
related to treatment services for state responsible offenders and requests
the DMHMRSAS to explore ways to communicate information about innovative
practices among treatment providers.
- 2002-2004 Appropriation Act directs
the DMHMRSAS to evaluate intensive substance abuse treatment programs
in local jails.
- SJR 99 directs the Virginia Commission
on Youth to coordinate the collection and dissemination of evidence-based
information on effective treatment modalities and practices for children
with mental health treatment needs.
Overview of SJR 97/HJR
142
Study Mandates
The Committee established by the Joint
Commission on Behavioral Health Care and the Virginia Commission on Youth
is required to:
- Provide leadership and direction for
the interagency work group;
- Oversee the implementation of the SJR
440 recommendations; and
- Conduct further research concerning
diversion programs.
Certain Cabinet Secretaries and state
agencies are requested to provide information to the Committee by September
30, 2002, related to:
- Collecting and evaluating data on treatment
services
- Cross training curriculum
- Offender access to appropriate medications
- Model court order for mental health
services
- Innovative practices
- Access to Medicaid benefits
- Uniform mental health screening for
juvenile offenders
Proposed Work Plan
Phase I: June 2002 to November 30, 2002
- Objectives
- Tasks
- Lead Staff
- Time Frame
JOINT
COMMISSION ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE
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