ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE BY FORMER INMATES

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ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE BY FORMER INMATES
Senate Criminal Justice Committee
PresentationOctober 19, 2005 Roderick L. Hall,
Ph.D.Director, Mental Health Program Office

• Collaboration between the Department of
  Corrections (DC) and the Department of Children
  and Families (DCF)

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AFTERCARE PLANNING PROCESS (BEFORE DC/DCF
AGREEMENT)
DC Staff Contacts MH Center for Appt. Before
Inmates Release.
DC Staff Advises Inmate of Appt. Date/Time
Former Inmate with MH Needs Attends or Schedules
Appt.
DCF Contracted MH Center Provides Needed Services
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WORKGROUP

• February 2003
• Senator Stephen R. Wise asked the two
  departments to form a workgroup to enhance
  post-release mental health care

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WORKGROUP COMPOSITION

• Department of Corrections
• Department of Children and Families
• Medicaid
• The Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI)
• Florida Senate Staff
• Advocacy Center
• Florida Council for Community Mental Health
  (FCCMH)

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WORKGROUP GOALS

• Ensure that former inmates with mental health
  needs have timely access to mental health care
  and supports
• Promote safe, productive, community living

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WORKGROUP ACTIONS

• Finalized an interagency agreement on 07/05/05
• Established a process to arrange post-release
  mental health care before the inmates release
• Implemented Social Security Administration
  Training for DC and DCF staff members

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WORKGROUP ACTIONScontinued

• Established a process to perform ongoing review
  of aftercare planning
• Developed a directory of community-based mental
  health providers on the DCF internet
• Established a process to assign a community case
  manager to each SPMI inmate before release

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REVISED AFTERCARE PLANNING PROCESS (POST
AGREEMENT)
DCF Advises DC of Name of MH Center Contact
DCF Staff Arranges Appointment(s) and Notifies
DC Staff
DCF Contracted MH Center Provides Needed Services
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PLANNED ACTIONS

• Both departments will collaborate to
• Review adequacy of aftercare services annually
• Review release planning procedures annually

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PLANNED ACTIONS continued

• Support use of split sentences for persons with
  severe and persistent mental illnesses
• Assess the fiscal impact of providing aftercare
  services for former inmates with mental health
  needs

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TYPE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RECEIVED BY FORMER
INMATES IN FY 04-05