Shawnee County Jail contracts with Family Service and Guidance for juvenile mental health services

Juvenile inmates at the Shawnee County Jail who need mental health services will soon be able to work with a liaison from the Family Service and Guidance Center.

Through a one-year, grant-funded contract with the agency, staff in the juvenile detention center will work with a mental health professional to identify at-risk juveniles and place them in short-term therapeutic programs. The Shawnee County Commission approved the contract Thursday.

“This is a tremendous step in the initiative and vision in Shawnee County to have quality mental health services,” department of corrections director Brian Cole told the commission.

Of the 30 juvenile inmates, Cole said about 15 to 20 percent are in need of a mental health service. Many young men in the detention center have impulse control and anger issues that require intervention. Recently the jail also has seen an increase in female offenders who are victims of sex trafficking or sexual abuse. Both populations would be served through the contract, Cole said.

Two therapists from Family Service and Guidance Center will work with jail staff to screen children and plan treatment options for those who need care. Therapists can provide individualized and crisis counseling when needed, but they also will teach a life skills class at the jail. The children also will be set up with post-release care if needed, Nancy Crago, director of outpatient and psychosocial services said.

“Our hope is every child who needs services would have those before leaving the jail,” she said.

The center received $14,400 from the Topeka Community Foundation to fund the one year contract, making it cost neutral to the county.

Future grant funding concerned Commissioner Bob Archer who questioned the program’s future if in a year the grant was unavailable. Under similar circumstances in the past, Cole said he attempted to build beneficial programs in the the department’s regular budget. The department will work with Family Services and Guidance to find future funding.

Crago said she’s hopeful her center and the department can find away to make the program sustainable.

“We’re going to be working out the model this first year,” she said.

The contract is part of a larger push from the department to focus on mental health services.

When counting adult inmates, 25 to 30 percent of people incarcerated at the Shawnee County facility suffer from psychological complications, The Topeka Capital-Journal previously reported. http://cjonline.com/news-local-state-life/2016-10-31/shawnee-county-jail-officials-work-expand-mental-health-service

Shawnee County corrections officials are preparing to ask the Shawnee County Commission for authority to adopt in 2017 a program to better identify inmates with mental-health challenges, intensify adherence to prescribed medication schedules and engage those juveniles and adults in group or individual counseling and therapy.

Inmates, whether charged with misdemeanors or felonies, would be able to start a plan of care that attempts to address mental health obstacles, Cole said. About 80 percent of inmates are on pre-trial hold, meaning they have yet to be adjudicated.

The initial $1.3 million annual cost of the mental-health initiative would be moderated through reallocation of existing staff and resources.

Cole said Thursday he hopes to present a plan to the commission within the next two to three weeks.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Cole said.

Reporter Luke Ranker can be reached at 785-295-1270. Follow him on Twitter at @lrankerNEWS or on Facebook at facebook.com/lukeranker.