Two new programs advocates hope will benefit people with mental illnesses will get their start in January.
The "alternative sentencing court," created with the help of Topeka Municipal Court Judge Vic Miller, is scheduled to hear its first docket in early January, said Christine Wills, director of mental health programs at Valeo. A $91,189 federal grant announced in November will fund two positions, a clinician and a person coordinating peer support, to work with people who have mental illnesses and are in jail for relatively minor crimes.
The court will allow people who qualify to get out of jail earlier if they comply with a treatment plan. People who have committed violent crimes won't be eligible, Wills said. In addition to setting up treatment for the person, it also will work on employment, housing and substance abuse issues if necessary, she said.
"It'll be intensive follow-up and support," she said. "If they don't follow through, they're remanded to jail to finish the sentence we got them out early from."
The alternative process will benefit the county as well as the person going through it, Wills said. Treating someone for mental health problems in a jail setting is expensive, she said, and that expense isn't necessary if the person didn't have criminal intent. For example, a person with schizophrenia may wander, leading to a charge of trespassing, but the person didn't intend to commit a crime and isn't likely to offend again with proper support, she said.
People with mental illnesses who lack dental coverage also will be able to get care starting in January through a partnership between Valeo and Community Health Ministry, said Glea Ashley, chief executive officer at Valeo. Patients who are covered by Medicaid now can get teeth cleanings and other basic care, but many people who have mental health or substance abuse disorders have been detached from routine health care for some time and have more advanced problems, she said.
Valeo already has partnerships to provide primary care onsite to people who have mental health or substance abuse disorders and other chronic conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Though Community Health Ministry will perform only basic cleanings and education, it has partnerships to refer people who need more extensive care, Wills said. And even basic care will benefit people who don't have Medicaid or private insurance, she said.
"That's going to make a huge difference because 10 years from now they're not going to be as bad," she said.
Dental problems also can exacerbate mental health symptoms, Wills said. People who have depression may take a further hit to their self-esteem if they have decayed teeth, and people with illnesses like schizophrenia may act out because they can't explain that they are in pain, leading to unnecessary hospitalizations, she said.
"Because of the voices, they're not able to articulate that 'my tooth hurts,' " she said.