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County-funded Rosecrans reentry program reports 27 admissions, highlights housing as top barrier
Summary
Rosecrans presented an annual update to the Champaign County Board’s Justice & Social Services Committee, reporting 27 admissions and 26 discharges under a revised reporting system and identifying housing, transportation and ID access as the program’s primary barriers.
Rosecrans staff gave the Champaign County Board an update on the county-funded reentry program, reporting 27 admissions and 26 discharges under a new monthly reporting system that began Jan. 24.
The presentation, given by Dave Keller of Rosecrans during the Justice & Social Services Committee portion of the April meeting, summarized services the program provides — housing navigation, benefits enrollment, employment assistance, transportation help, medical and behavioral-health linkages, and help obtaining IDs and birth certificates.
Why it matters: The reentry program is intended to reduce recidivism and support people returning from jail or prison. Program staff said housing availability and affordability, landlord discrimination, lack of transportation and limited internet access make successful reentry difficult.
Keller told the board that of 26 discharges recorded in the reporting period, seven met the program’s criteria for “successful” discharge, 14 left against medical advice, three were reincarcerated, one moved out of the county and one was not recommended for services. He said the program’s calculated recidivism rate for the period was 10.6 percent.
Keller said Rosecrans offers telehealth psychiatry, group therapies (moral recognition therapy and anger management), and medication-assisted recovery and treatment (MAT/MAR). He said the program has in-house psychiatry for clients who come to the Walnut office and receive virtual provider visits.
Board members pressed on caseload and recruitment. Committee chair Rogers and several board members discussed staff turnover at Rosecrans: Keller acknowledged multiple manager departures over roughly 15 months and said turnover hindered engagement and continuity.
Funding and partnerships: Keller said some services are funded or supported by the county mental health board and by partnering agencies, and that the program coordinates with First Followers (a peer-support organization) and local workforce agencies. He described efforts to issue Chromebooks to participants and to use community partners to improve employment placement.
On outcomes, Keller highlighted a success story: a participant who obtained a commercial driver’s license through a local program, secured work and improved housing. He also described a reentry resource fair that drew roughly 40 attendees, 17 vendors and four sponsors.
Keller and board members acknowledged challenges: stigma toward behavioral health services, “cold handoffs” between correctional facilities and reentry staff, and difficulty maintaining contact with participants after release. Committee members said the county is considering whether to alter contract structures or divert some funds to other local providers if engagement remains low.
The presentation included discussion about the distinction between people who meet medical-necessity criteria for clinical services and those who are best served by case-management or peer-support programs; Keller said Rosecrans can provide both clinical and criminal-justice–linked case management.
Ending: Committee members asked Keller to return with updated monthly reports; Keller said March statistics would be distributed soon.
