The Pinellas County Mentally Ill Jail Diversion Program was initially funded through a federal BJA grant of $993,500 awarded in 2003.  Our program became operational in February of 2004, and for the period February-December 2004, 432 clients were served, providing a cost savings of $5,712,174 to the Pinellas County Jail and providing needed treatment services to these clients.

In 2005 we were awarded an additional BJA grant in the amount of $739,982 to continue this program; in 2006 we were awarded BJA funding in the amount of $493,614.
           
Our program is a collaboration with the Public Defender, State Attorney, Pinellas County Sheriff, the judiciary and local service providers to reduce the incidence and length of incarceration of individuals diagnosed with mental illess or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders who are charged with crimes.  The program provides access to community based health and substance abuse treatment services while at the same time addressing the client’s involvement in the criminal justice system.
         
The program is designed to provide wraparound treatment services, case management, housing and medications to adults involved in the criminal justice system whose legal involvement may be a result of untreated mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorder.  This is a short-term program designed to help stabilize and link clients to more traditional treatment methods.  Services provided include face to face assessments, transportation, transitional housing, psychiatric evaluations, treatment plans, prescription medication therapy, intensive case management, court liaison, and coordinating enrollments in additional community resources.
          
Within 48 hours of referral, the Program Coordinator will screen potential clients in order to determine eligibility for the program and facilitate the client’s release to a case manager, who performs an intake assessment and conducts the client’s orientation to the program.  A treatment plan is developed by the client and a treatment team member following the client’s assessment.  The treatment plan contains goals and objectives formulated to reduce the severity and intensity of variables related to the onset or progression of substance abuse, mental health relapse and criminal involvement.  The criteria for discharge from the program are related to the diagnoses and clearly defined in the treatment plan.
           
Most clients admitted to the program are scheduled for a psychiatric evaluation. 
Medications are prescribed and managed according to best practice standards.
           
Upon admission to the program, the client signs a consent for treatment, authorizing the participants of the program to communicate treatment information to each other.  The coordinator will track court dates and be aware of necessary appearances, relay this information to the treatment team, and provide current treatment information to the courts.
           
Based on assessment clients are referred to the most appropriate, least restrictive program within the partner agencies and within the community.  The length of stay in the program is determined by the client’s ability to progress toward their stated goals, and clients may transition to traditional mental health services where they can continue to work toward successful completion of their treatment plan.
           
Upon release from the jail, most clients will receive a 30-day supply of medications.  Based on the screening conducted by the program coordinator, referrals will be made to an appropriate housing source.  Support funds are available to purchase items of daily living for the clients, to include hygiene and housekeeping products; such items are provided with the assistance of the case manager.  At no time are the clients given cash.
The program provides a variety of transitional housing opportunities.  The program can provide rental assistance and deposits for a short term situation.  We can also provide apartments for qualified clients and a supported living specialist; the living specialist will work with the participants while they reside in the Center’s housing as well as facilitate and support their moves into permanent housing.  An extensive orientation process is comopleted by the client, the client attends weekly meeting/training sessions, is required to comply with prescribed medications, and is directed to available community resources and assisted with the necessary application process to allow re-entry into the community on an independent living basis after the transition period.

Since transportation is another major issue faced by our indigent clients, we provide bus tokens to alleviate this problem.  Need is again assessed by the case manager.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has continuously voiced support for alternative placement of inmates in appropriate mental health facilities as opposed to the Pinellas County Jail.

The cost per day to house an inmate in the Pinellas County Jail is $90.00.  Mentally ill clients, however, generate a higher cost per day than the other inmates in terms of medication, treatment and disruption.  The placement of these mentally ill patients in mental health facilities has resulted in the considerable cost savings to the jail, and on a long range basis allowing this much needed treatment will effectively lower recidivism rates and reoffenses.

There is, of course, the non monetary benefit of decriminalizing mental illness and treating it in an appropriate medical setting.  If the concept of mental health evaluation at the time of booking is shown to be effective, state funding and statutory change requiring this type of intervention could follow.  The benefits to the safety of the community and the resulting impact to the criminal justice system would be substantial.

This program is enthusiastically supported by the Sheriffs of both Pinellas and Pasco Counties.  In addition, the Board of County Commissioners of both Pinellas and Pasco Counties have demonstrated their support for our efforts by approving funding since 2005, in both Pinellas’ and Pasco’s budget, to continue the program.

The program has resulted in an incredible arrest reduction rate as illustrated by the following statistics.

RECAP PINELLAS JAIL DIVERSION PROGRAM
APRIL 2004-DECEMBER 2007

2004 COVERS APRIL - DECEMBER ONLY