Leaders Seek To Improve Mental Health Treatment For Inmates
Nearly a quarter of Spartanburg County's jail inmates are on medications for mental health conditions.
As of Wednesday, jail staff was administering psychiatric prescriptions to 178 of the jail's 722 inmates — and the numbers are climbing, officials say.
Jail leaders and mental health professionals are trying to find ways to keep former inmates with mental health issues treated once they're released, though it takes work and comes with a cost, they said.
“No, a jail is not a mental health facility, but we all have a part to play,” said Kathy White, the jail's medical administrator. “We have to do something about it while they're in here.”
Inmates with mental illnesses are now receiving prescriptions and getting follow-up appointments scheduled for them at the Department of Mental Health when they're released from jail.
If their conditions can be treated in jail and they can continue treatment once they're out, it might be one small step toward ending a cycle of recidivism, jail director Maj. Neal Urch said.
“We're focusing more on their mental illness now. With better information, we can be more proactive in their care,” Urch said.
A clinical counselor from the mental health department has been visiting inmates at the jail three to four times a week since July. He began coming to the jail two to three times a week last year, but Spartanburg County approved the additional time this year.
West Gate Family Therapy Institute began a pilot program with the jail in 2013 to have counselors meet regularly with inmates with mental health issues. There are now eight West Gate volunteers who visit the jail during the week.
Counselors meet with inmates in a small interview room outside of the booking area. Officials said they would like to have more space.
The West Gate volunteers can provide counseling services and make recommendations for the clinical counselor to write prescriptions for inmates. Officials said services involved are usually a combination of talk therapy and medications.
“The folks in jail usually are at the bottom and have nowhere to go but up. They may have never had someone listen to them before,” West Gate Executive Director Elizabeth Martin said.
She described cases where inmates will tell counselors that their parents gave them alcohol and drugs before they were 15 years old for their entertainment.
“If that's their only view of the world … How can we expect them to be productive members of society?” she asked.
To read the entire article by Daniel J Gross visit GoUpstate.com here: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20151015/ARTICLES/151019829?p=1&tc=pg