A poor way to treat mental illness
Kane County treats those with mental illness in a costly and ineffective way: it houses them in jail. In fact, more than 20 percent of the jail's population has some form of mental illness.
The Fox River Valley Initiative, an independent and nonpartisan citizens organization, has researched the root causes that have led to this crisis and has discovered that there are practical solutions.
Jurisdictions throughout the U.S. have employed Crisis Intervention Team Training as the first step. Law enforcement personnel are trained to identify behaviors resulting from mental illness and how to de-escalate the situation so that arrest and incarceration are not needed.
A second practical solution is pre-release counseling. Days before a person is released, mental health professionals meet with the individual to build a post-release support plan.
Finally, crisis stabilization centers, staffed with mental health professionals, become a resource for law enforcement. When a person exhibiting mental health symptoms is encountered, an officer may take the individual to the center for assessment. The center assures the individual receives the proper treatment while the office(rs) can go back to work.
These types of programs are not new. We have met with Judge Steven Leifman, of Miami-Dade County, and sent a delegation to witness how he has implemented this strategy over the past 15 years. He and his team have reduced the jail population by one-third, have closed down a jail and have created the case management system, the crisis stabilization centers, and the longer term housing needed to guarantee that those with mental illness are properly treated and that the police and other public officials who interact with them are properly equipped.
Now is the time for the Kane County Board to act to disrupt this cycle that costs more and produces less.
Reverend Mark H. Larson is the Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Charles and Rick Lathrop is a member of the Congregational Church of Batavia and the Illinois Education Association. Both are leaders with the Fox River Valley Initaitive.
Rev. Mark H. Larson
Senior Pastor, Bethlehem Lutheran. St. Charles
Rick Lathrop
Illinois Education Association and Congregational Church of Batavia