Adult Detention Center and Community Services Work Collaboratively to Support Those with Mental Illness

According to data gathered by Virginia’s Criminal Justice Work Group in 2018, the prevalence rate for serious mental illness in Virginia jails was at least double that of what was found in the community. This statistic illustrates the need for a crucial mental health system to address the needs of mentally ill inmates, both during their incarceration and upon release back into the community.

Prince William County’s efforts to divert individuals from jail begins with an essential crisis intervention training program for law enforcement officers and the implementation of co-responder units, where law enforcement officers are teamed up with mental health clinicians to assess, link and coordinate individuals with services, when at all possible.

However, when arrest does occur, the Prince William County Adult Detention Center (ADC) Mental Health Team and Community Services (CS) Forensic Services Program work collaboratively to support individuals with mental illness and co-occurring disorders throughout their incarceration and return to the community.  This support and treatment often provides stabilization for the individual, which if continued upon release, may decrease recidivism and offer continuity of care for continued improvement. 

According to Katherine Archer, Supervisor of the ADC Mental Health team, the Mental Health Unit “provides a therapeutic environment, within a correctional setting, to emulate community mental health interventions in a jail setting. In my experience, often times, the correctional setting is the first real opportunity someone has to engage in mental health services.”

The ADC Mental Health Team offers a myriad of mental health services. These include, but are not limited to, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, co-occurring therapy, grief therapy, discharge planning, community transition planning, psychoeducational groups and medication management.

In addition, the ADC is one of six pilot sites in Virginia awarded the Jail Mental Health Program grant through the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. This grant came into effect in 2016 and is another support for mental health inmates to aid in reduction of recidivism and relapse upon return to the community. It provides additional mental health staff; guarantees funding for placement in residential programming; ensures ancillary medication management for mental health inmates; provides necessary transitional funds for inmates returning to the community; and funds supplemental therapeutic services, to include counseling services for inmates participating in the ADC medication assisted treatment program. 

An integral part of mental health services is continuity of care. An individual is provided and participates in mental health treatment, and their symptoms are stabilized. Then upon release into the community, with the reality of having to navigate the complexities of the mental health system and meeting the requirements of the criminal justice systems, the individual often becomes overwhelmed and is unable to maintain the mental health treatment gains received during incarceration.

Data show that in 2020, out of the general population of individuals who sought services through Community Services and were determined to meet agency eligibility criteria, criminal justice referred individuals made up 41 percent of missed first appointments. It’s this exact issue that has become the central focus of the partnership between the ADC Mental Health Team and the CS Forensic Services Program over the past five years, to keep these individuals engaged and connected to treatment.

The CS Forensic Services Program, established in 2018, initially consisted of various pre-existing forensic positions within the agency, including forensic discharge planning, restoration to competency services, and oversight of Not Guilty By Insanity Acquittees. In 2021, the program expanded to provide re-entry services. Re-entry therapists complete the intake and enrollment process, develop release plans, and can apply for benefits, all prior to an individual’s release.

“The individuals we serve are often homeless, have limited to no support systems, and lack access to basic resources, such as phones or transportation. I can imagine that without support or assistance, engaging in mental health services following release is not high on the priority list. That’s where we step in to help,” said Kristen Durbin, supervisor for the Forensic Services Program. 

In 2022, the Forensic Services Program further expanded to include a Forensic Peer Specialist, an individual with their own lived experience with mental health or substance use and often times someone who has prior involvement in the criminal justice system. After completing specialized training, Peer Specialists provide non-clinical services to individuals, such as outreach and linkage to resources, as well as support throughout the criminal justice process. 

Both Durbin and Archer emphasized the importance of collaboration and coordination in expanding mental health services to the incarcerated population. "By working together, we're able to provide more comprehensive care in order to support those we serve live healthy and productive lives. If there is a reduction in arrests, that's a positive outcome, but the big takeaway is that individuals are getting connected to the services they need," said Durbin. “Meeting those basic needs can help reduce recidivism, but it can be a process. It may not fix things right away, but over time it will," she said.

The ADC Mental Health Team and Forensic Services Program are committed to providing care and support to individuals with behavioral health needs in Prince William County, helping them achieve stability and success in the community.