Decreasing mental health patients in jail

Jan. 09--OTTUMWA -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter in Iowa is encouraging counties to stop using jails as a storehouse for people with mental illness. We're on it, say Wapello County officials.

NAMI reports more than 2 million people with mental illness are booked into jails nationally every year.

This week, a group that includes the U.S. Justice Department, the National Association of Counties, the American Psychiatric Association's foundation and NAMI is asking counties via email if they will discuss the issue of jailing people whose "crime" is mental illness.

"Around the country,193 counties have passed resolutions to commit to reducing this number," states the NAMI press release.

They'll be hosting a conference for counties in April. But that is in Washington; what is happening here?

"This is a national problem, but we're handling it on a local level," said Wapello County Supervisor Jerry Parker. "We're doing it before we receive a [mandate forcing] us to do it."

There's a few reasons for that, Parker said.

"One, the clients themselves should not be incarcerated. They may not even understand why they are there."

In addition to compassion and fairness, there is the stewardship of taxpayer funds the board of supervisors is responsible for.

"We built a new jail 10 years ago. It's been almost full. When you have 10 cells taken up by people who should not be there, you have to start paying to house new prisoners somewhere else. Or you have to expand. Both options are very expensive."

So putting criminals in jail is important, and getting treatment for mental health clients is important -- and they overlap. And yes, Miller agreed, jail may not be the ideal place for every person. Unfortunately, the system doesn't always have a place to put a patient, he said. So in some cases, a potential mental patient may become an inmate.

"The correctional officers, when they go through their training, it always covers topics of mental health," Miller said. "But they only scratch the surface. But anyone that works here has experience dealing with people who have challenges."

In recent years, the Wapello County Jail has taken steps to be proactive and provide access to some level of mental health care, Miller said.

"We work a lot through the services of Southern Iowa Mental Health. We have TelePsych, where an inmate can go into the medical room we have, so we can get them visits with a qualified professional. When there's such a limited number of professionals in the field, you've got to do what you can."

The patient can be seen, often on a fairly regular basis, by the same doctor, even though it's by closed-circuit TV.

Wapello County has already instituted a jail diversion program. Parker said it can find alternate options for housing and treating patients. Sheriff Miller says it's a good program, revolving around the work of a "jail diversion counselor."

"She's a social worker [who] brings a certain level of expertise to the jails in Appanoose, Davis, Mahaska and Wapello counties," said Miller. "She can help inmates who need the help. Her office is here because we have the most [inmates]. But she travels to the other counties, too."

Parker said she's been contracted by the health consortium of counties.

"When we arrest somebody," Parker said, "we don't know right away if they've got any mental health problems. She helps train correctional officers to recognize someone who may have more problems than just breaking the law."

The training includes, of course, how to successfully work with troubled inmates, he said.

"We try to do the most we can at the front end [in the hope that] small problems won't become big problems later," Miller said. "It may not be perfect. But I think we're on the best track we've ever been on."

For mental health justice information, visit www.stepuptogether.org.

Follow Ottumwa Courier writer Mark Newman @couriermark on Twitter or email mnewman@ottumwacourier.com.

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