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Jefferson County committee considers ways to coordinate law enforcement and mental health efforts

Watertown Daily Times (NY) - 2/25/2015

Feb. 25--WATERTOWN -- Following a summit in January, Jefferson County mental health officials are moving forward with plans to begin working in close concert with the county's law enforcement officers to identify places where the two systems can work together.

Following changes to the way New York takes care of people suffering from mental health disorders or disabilities, many of these people end up in county jails for a variety of minor offenses, according to Timothy J. Ruetten, coordinator of mental health services for the Jefferson County Department of Community Services.

They are more likely to return to jail and to be either victims or perpetrators of violence while incarcerated due to their disorders, Mr. Ruetten said.

To intervene before these individuals come in contact with the criminal justice system, Mr. Ruetten and other mental health professionals are advocating for "Sequential Intercept Mapping" of the functions of the county's mental health and law enforcement agencies.

The study will help to identify places where the two entities could work together to reduce the likelihood that people with mental health disorders will continually cycle through the criminal justice system.

"The earlier you catch it, the better off the client is," Mr. Ruetten said during a meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators Health and Human Services Committee.

For $21,000, a "Crisis Intervention Team" from the state Department of Criminal Justice Services-Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives will come to the county to study the relationships between the two systems and train law enforcement officers and mental health professionals how to better identify, approach and treat people with mental health disorders.

Lt. Kristopher M. Spencer, the Jefferson County jail administrator, endorsed the training.

Legislators at the Health and Human Services meeting seemed receptive to the mapping and training, though no official action was taken.

Following the meeting, Mr. Ruetten said the study likely would be funded by a combination of county money and donations from local mental health agencies.

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