Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Criminal Justice Behavioral Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Officials: new court–behavioral health steps have increased treatment deferrals and reduced jailings
Summary
Representatives told Fulton County commissioners that a mental health court co-responder and a recovery supports navigator have increased deferrals to community-based treatment and produced a measurable reduction in incarcerations at the Bedford County Correctional Facility; officials said next steps include training resource mapping and exploring supported housing.
Representatives from the justice system and behavioral health briefed Fulton County commissioners on Jan. 20 about recent initiatives aimed at diverting people with behavioral health needs from jail into community treatment.
According to the meeting record, the group highlighted the implementation of a mental health court co-responder program and a recovery supports navigator position. Those initiatives, combined with strengthened systems, were said to have increased deferrals to community-based treatment resources. Officials reported a measurable reduction in the number of individuals incarcerated at the Bedford County Correctional Facility and described resulting cost savings to the county.
The presentation attributed the progress in part to blended funding from county mental health resources and grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Commissioners were told next steps include mapping available resources to support training efforts and exploring supported housing options to help sustain community-based placements.
The minutes do not include baseline figures, a time frame for the reported reductions, nor a detailed breakdown of the cost savings. The record notes separate minutes are on file for a Safety Committee meeting and a Department Head meeting that occurred the same morning. Services for Children Director Christine McQuade also met with commissioners during the session to discuss a potential Caseworker II hire and to obtain quotes for a printer and projector; those personnel and procurement items were recorded separately in the minutes.
The meeting entered executive session for personnel matters later in the day; no additional public action on the behavioral health briefing is recorded in the minutes.
