(Aug. 26, 2015) Arkansas has an opportunity to address our incarceration crisis, save the state money and make our communities safer by helping people with mental health problems.
Arkansas arrests and jails too many nonviolent people simply because they have an untreated mental illness. Over-representation of those with mental illness in jails has increased over the past several decades due to diminishing mental health services.
A seasoned police officer may know when a disturbance is caused by someone having difficulty with his or her thinking. Unfortunately the officer has few choices. The officer can take the citizen to jail or to the emergency room. Neither option is appropriate. Both the officer and offender often wait long hours in the ER, if they are even seen. Alternatively, locking up a person needing mental health services is cruel and counterproductive, and often leads to a downward spiral in the person's health.
The cost of mental health treatment is a concern. However, a recent study commissioned by the Arkansas Public Policy Panel found that a year of incarceration and the associated legal costs to the state for each person are at least 20 times higher than the cost of mental health crisis treatment and ongoing counseling for mental problems.
Communities around the country are adopting successful and cost-effective solutions. Diversion from jail to a 24/7 crisis center is a first step. Nonviolent people in emergency situations can be taken by law enforcement, family members, or on their own, for assessment and connection to services for mental health.
The second component of the solution is crisis intervention training, or CIT, for all law enforcement personnel. Officers learn to identify a person in a mental health crisis and how to help that person extract himself from the trouble his illness is causing. Once the officer has de-escalated a situation, he or she needs somewhere to take the ill person. The crisis center is the natural needed place.
Third is follow-up assistance. A community mental health center or another agency needs to provide case management by a mental health professional and/or a peer counselor. A trusting relationship can develop as medication, housing, work and other needs are addressed during weekly meetings. This prevents a revolving door and addresses problems at the root cause.
These reforms will save money for the state and municipalities while making our communities safer, enriching the lives of citizens experiencing symptoms of mental illness and relieving families of untold heartbreaks. How often do all of those benefits align?
NANCY KAHANAK
JUDICIAL EQUALITY FOR MENTAL ILLNESS
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