Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction Grant (MIO)

MIO Executive Strategy Committee

Quarterly Meeting

Minutes

Wednesday, December 6, 2000

12:00 - 1:30 P.M.

Sheriff's Training Unit, 555 - 7^th Street, Room 200

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

Ron Albers Lynda Frost (guest) Lorena Marquez

Linda Allen Alex Georgakopoulos Germaine McCoy

Tanya Aly Barbara Havassy Paula Proulx

Naheed Bashir Michael Hennessey Michael Reiter

Carmen Bushe Alan Kaufman Annamarie Stehli

Cynthia Caporizzo Albert Lee

David Fariello Jean Mariani

I. MIO Project

· Members introduced themselves for Lynda Frost, our Board of Corrections Field Representative, who was present at the meeting.

· Tanya Aly, Consultant, reported on results of interviews with respect to the current MIO grant.

Research Results: Ideas and Common Themes

_ Diagnostic criteria for study too broad.

_ Lack of consistency and clarity of court orders.

_ Need for central data base.

_ Qualitative assessment (level of functional impairment) of clients before randomization would be desirable.

_ All clinical and disposition decisions now have to be cleared with Public Defender (PD) first; must defer to PD before approaching Probation's Intensive Supervision Unit (ISU).

_ Access to residential treatment (Bed Committee) is problematic.

_ Access to mental health services is problematic.

_ Lack of housing (hotel beds, SROs, residential beds, etc.). Lack of fit between forensic clients and available housing.

_ Address the misdemeanor/nuisance population cycling through the criminal justice system (Suggestion: At booking, cite client out).

1. CONCERN: PD's clearance of all clinical and disposition issues required before ISU can be approached (perception) - Citywides's Forensic Support System (FSS) feels they do not have much clinical ground to put forward. They are not sure what they can and cannot do. A smaller meeting between FSS, ISU Probation, Public Defender, and Consultant was suggested to address this "perception".

2. CONCERN: Parolee referrals - The referral of state parolees has been difficult. San Francisco needs a total of 25 state parolees. Only 7 have been recruited to date. A smaller meeting between State Parole, FSS and the Public Defender was suggested to address this issue.

3. CONCERN: Diagnostic criteria for study too broad - FSS staff providing direct services to clients such as the Court Liaison and ISU Probation has observed the impact of the grant's broad psychiatric criteria upon programming. They feel they have been working with a far larger number of higher-functioning clients (at least in terms of their psychiatric impairment) than community mental health programs typically work with and than they previously envisioned. They find that these clients have the functioning level and type of impairments that would enable them to receive relevant services at a variety of programs and systems throughout the City, other than their rather specialized services for seriously mentally ill adults. They would like to see the diagnoses of Depressive Disorder NOS and Personality Disorder NOS ineligible for the grant (at least for the remaining 20+ clients needed) to allow a more appropriate fit for the mental health program.

However, according to the researcher, a randomized assignment research design will not permit this change at this point in time. It will not be possible to change the entrance criteria now.

Currently, 150 clients have been recruited (128 active participants). The goal is to recruit 200 clients, which the researcher expects to do so by February 2001. It was suggested that after the 200 clients have been recruited, assuming time and resources are available, that additional clients could be recruited. At that time, ESC could consider excluding clients with Depressive Disorder NOS and Personality Disorder NOS.

· Other Issues

The State Board of Corrections (BOC) has requested two case studies that illustrate the successes (or challenges) that counties are experiencing in delivery of the new services in support of their hypotheses. FSS prepared two case studies which were distributed during the meeting. Any changes or suggestions, please contact Lorena Marquez at (415) 554-7241. The case studies are due to the BOC by Jan. 15, 2001.

II. Planning Grant

· The Local Plan and the new Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction Grant (MIOCR) are due March 1, 2001. We may have another ESC meeting in January and/or February to discuss the direction of any possible new funding.

· As part of the planning grant, we will be identifying the feasibility of developing a mental health court in San Francisco. A maximum of 6 people will be visiting various mental health courts. We are scheduled to visit San Bernardino's mental health court on Jan. 3, 2001. Santa Barbara was scheduled for Jan. 9, 2001, but was re-scheduled at their request for Jan. 30, 2001. We will also be visiting Seattle, Washington's mental health court. No date has been scheduled for this trip yet.

III. Public Comment

· None

Note: Agendas and Minutes are posted on the Sheriff's web site at www.ci.sf.ca.us/sheriff/mio/index.htm