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VillageReach metrics raise definitional questions on 'serious mental illness' and recidivism
Summary
The subcommittee reviewed VillageReach's draft measures for the justice‑system behavioral health implementation plan and debated how to define and measure 'serious mental illness' and recidivism for disaggregated outcome reporting.
Dean White, a part‑time project manager with Whatcom County Health and Community Services, and Bertie Safford, chair of the index committee, summarized VillageReach’s work and flagged three measurement questions for the behavioral‑health subcommittee on April 15.
VillageReach, the county’s contractor on the justice evaluation and performance‑measurement plan, consolidated 15 potential measures into four outcome areas: jail bookings, average length of jail stay, post‑release connections to care, and recidivism, White said. The consultant will disaggregate measures by behavioral‑health involvement and race and ethnicity.
Nut graf: Committee members spent the bulk of discussion on how to define the subsets for that disaggregation—particularly how to identify people with “serious mental illness” and how to measure recidivism in a way that is both meaningful and measurable.
Bertie Safford said VillageReach head researcher Julia Gurett (presented to the index committee) consolidated the measures and asked the community to weigh in on definitions. Safford summarized the four outcomes and listed three community questions: how to measure “connections to care” at release; how to define “serious mental illness” for the purpose of the implementation plan; and how to operationalize recidivism.
Participants noted tradeoffs between an ideal measure and available data. Lieutenant Kyle Nelson and Jake Wiebusch said many people interact repeatedly with law enforcement without being booked into jail, which affects how recidivism is counted. Tori Sandoz and others suggested separating substance use and mental‑health involvement and considering screening‑based indicators (for example, SBIRT) if formal diagnoses are not consistently available.
White and Bertie said VillageReach is first identifying ideal measures and then mapping gaps to current data sources; final measurement recommendations will likely move through the full IPRTF. Bertie emphasized community input and flagged that the consultant “is giving this as a question” on who will decide operational definitions.
Ending: Committee members asked for continued discussion and suggested that VillageReach and county staff engage clinicians, lived‑experience representatives and data managers to refine definitions before the June deadline for JAG fund expenditure.
