What percentage of the people under your roof can tie their involvement in the justice system back to mental health and/or substance use? Think about the percentage that just popped into your head – do you know that for a fact, or was it an educated guess? Could you find the actual number if we gave you 30 seconds and access to your system of record?
If you’re like most custody professionals, the answers were: Upwards of 75%; Educated guess; and No.
Since your jail is most likely the largest mental health care provider in your community, it’s imperative that you understand the needs of those who are in your custody. As Northpointe’s founder, Dr. Tim Brennan said on numerous occasions, “The foundation of treatment is knowing what the right set of needs are and knowing which of the needs you’ve got to take care of.”
That’s why mental health screenings are an essential part of your process. With equivant Corrections, you can screen for:
- Suicide
- General Mental Health
- PTSD – Civilian and Military Versions
- PREA Vulnerability
- PREA Aggressiveness
- Criminal Thinking
- Drug Abuse Risk
- And more
In addition to identifying those in need of services, you can:
- Create your own agency-specific questionnaires for data gathering (these are not scored)
- Set up automated alert triggers for booking records, when applicable
- Set up configurable behavior and education plans (including needs, goals, tasks, service providers, completion status, etc.)
- Manage jail programming with eligibility matrices
- Deliver reports on all of the above
The mental health needs in your jail are real, and they’re not going anywhere. Make more informed decisions about where to put your funding and your resources when you understand the full landscape of your jail’s needs.
If you can’t pull data on the mental health needs in your jail with 30 seconds on your system of record, then you’re not using the right tool. Our team of former practitioners can help you set up your screening process and start making a difference in your community’s mental health treatment.
