DuPage exploring ways to help those with mental health issues
DuPage County has joined a nationwide initiative designed to divert people with mental health issues out of the criminal justice system and into community-based care.
DuPage Health Department officials on Tuesday said they are partnering with the sheriff's office to train officers to de-escalate situations involving those with mental health issues. They also are working with other partners to someday open a 24-hour receiving center and provide post-incarceration support.
It's all part of a larger effort to disrupt a cycle of recidivism, waste and the ineffective use of resources, according to health department Executive Director Karen Ayala.
"One of the reasons this initiative was launched - not only here in DuPage but across the country - is the growing realization that people who are experiencing severe or serious psychological distress are much more likely to come in contact with police," Ayala said during a presentation to the county board's judicial and public safety committee.
Last year, at least 13 percent of inmates at the DuPage County jail were on medication to deal with mental health concerns.
Ayala said such people tend to remain in prison and jail longer than other inmates.
"If not treated, individuals who are suffering from mental health disorders can create significant problems in the jail," she said. "They oftentimes become sicker, more costly and less likely to be successful once released."
In fact, such inmates are more likely to return to prison or jail in a "revolving door" phenomenon, officials said.
The Obama administration launched a "Data-Driven Justice" initiative in 2016 that's now being promoted by the National Association of Counties.
Ayala said communities across the nation are participating in the initiative because calls for mental health service are complex and time-consuming. Using the strategies allows police officers to be safer, reduce repeat calls for service and connect people with services that help them.
Lori Carnahan, director of behavioral health services, said the local response in DuPage already has begun.
To date, more than 200 police officers have received crisis intervention training.
The program teaches signs and symptoms of mental health issues and ways to communicate with someone in a mental health crisis. It gives officers the knowledge to safely de-escalate situations and get help for people who need it.
DuPage sheriff's police and health department officials also partnered to create a "Post-Crisis Response Team." The program provides screening, assessment and brief intervention to individuals after a crisis who have frequent or high-risk contact with police.
"It really is to go out and engage these individuals after that crisis to say ... 'Maybe we can get you involved in some services so you don't have to call 911 going forward,'" Carnahan said.
Looking ahead, officials are exploring the possibility of opening a 24-hour receiving center that would be a place to take people who might be having a mental health crisis.
"It could give them an area to be able to decompress before going back home," said Carnahan, adding that the facility's staff would include nurses and social workers.
The county also is looking to implement a program that would ensure inmates being released from the jail get access to services to help them stay out of trouble.