TULSA, Okla. — Rogers County is partnering with GRAND Mental Health to provide services to inmates at the county jail.
Grand Mental Health and Rogers County have announced that two Grand Mental Health staff members will be placed in the county jail, but Grand Mental Health says these services will benefit inmates even after they are released. states.
“What’s great is that the staff we bring in will work specifically to get people employed after they’re released,” said Josh Cantwell, Grand Mental Health’s chief operating officer.
In addition to preparing inmates for employment, Cantwell said staff will also follow up with released inmates to provide mental health services.
“This continuity of care, with the same staff following and delivering care, is what leads to these outcomes,” Cantwell said.
Outcomes such as reduced recidivism, increased participation in outpatient mental health services, and increased employment.
The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said it has a similar program in partnership with Creoks to conduct inmate mental health assessments.
“Probably 30 to 50 percent of them have some type of mental health issue,” Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott said.
Mr. Elliott said that when people with mental illness come into prison, he wants to do everything he can to begin treatment for them, and to ensure that these inmates serve their sentences, serve their sentences, and return to the community. He said he hopes he can return to society and succeed. .
In many cases, he says, these inmates are able to stay with counselors after they leave prison.
Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said the county opened a mental health facility for inmates in 2017.
Psychiatrists, psychologists and discharge planners are also on staff to assist inmates who need mental health or substance abuse treatment, he said.
“We now have discharge planners to ensure they have ongoing therapy outside of prison, so there is less chance of them returning to that lifestyle,” Regalado said. said.
Rogers County’s partnership with GRAND Mental Health is paid for by a grant from the state Department of Health.
