A collective of law enforcement officials, mental health professionals and others in the community have been hard at work over the past few years improving how individuals dealing with mental illness or substance use issues interact with the criminal justice system.
The Monroe County Criminal Justice Behavioral Health Task Force was established in 2018, seeking to provide improved interventions for repeat, nonviolent offenders with mental health or substance abuse problems.
The task force recently shared a press release detailing some accomplishments – specifically the highlights the organization has seen over the past year.
Noted in the report is crisis intervention referral data from last year which indicates there were 66 referrals for intervention from local law enforcement and the Monroe County Jail.
Further, 30 percent of these individuals were engaged through crisis response and stabilization services and 11 percent later enrolled in ongoing treatment.
It was noted suicidal ideation and depression were the leading reasons for referral followed by housing instability concerns, domestic violence and medication non-compliance.
Columbia Police Sgt. Josh Bayer, who chairs the task force’s Crisis Intervention Team Committee, commented, “Now that we have several years of referral data, we can focus on improving outcomes. The next step is strengthening follow-through so people don’t fall through the cracks after the initial contact.”
A big step for the task force has been the establishment of Monroe County’s drug court, which is now receiving referrals from local police and the courthouse with participants required to meet screening criteria.
“We’re still in the early phase, but the program is up and running,” said Monroe County Chief Managing Probation Officer Courtney Schweickhardt of the Drug Court Referral Committee. “We want officers and families to understand this is a real alternative to jail for eligible, non-violent Monroe County residents who are struggling with addiction.”
Task force members have also had a hand in education via the Responsible Online Citizenship for Kids or R.O.C.K. Project.
This effort focuses on junior high students in the county, with presentations addressing internet safety, cyberbullying and sextortion for sixth graders, the dangers of vaping for seventh graders and alcohol and other drugs, mental health, bullying, suicide and attendance for eighth graders.
Waterloo Police Sgt. Shaun Wiegand, a longtime school resource officer, said, “Kids today face pressures that didn’t exist a decade ago. This project gives students tools to stay safe while building positive relationships with law enforcement.”
Human Support Services – now Caritas Family Solutions – has also played a big role in the task force, reporting an increased need for housing resources as well as growing success with officers providing “soft handoffs” to clinicians, though an issue has been encountered in clients being unreachable with disconnected phones.
Caritas Executive Director of Behavioral Health in Community Services Stephanie Moore remarked, “Personal connection matters. When law enforcement builds rapport and introduces our team, engagement improves.”
When it comes to future plans for the task force, existing concerns include the lack of local housing for individuals leaving crisis, clients’ right to refuse services even after referrals and the difficulty of contacting individuals after they’re released from jail.
Task force members hope to conduct more in-person follow-ups at the county jail, further coordination with law enforcement and improve tracking of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior to guide services.
While there is still plenty more work to be done, leaders in the community and task force such as Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb voiced satisfaction with the group’s work over the years.
“What’s most encouraging is that Monroe County is no longer responding to crisis in silos,” Webb said. “We have law enforcement, the courts, schools and behavioral health professionals sharing information and solutions in real time. When someone gets connected to treatment instead of cycling back through jail, that’s a win for families, public safety and taxpayers alike.”
Caritas Chief Program Officer for Adult Services Anne Riley likewise expressed her appreciation for the work done among the task force.
“This is one of the things that I am most proud of in our community, honestly,” Riley said. “The work that this task force has accomplished since 2018 is really quite remarkable, and most people have no idea how much attention is being devoted to these issues and concerns behind the scenes.”
She pointed to the R.O.C.K. Project as a particular point of pride for the group, saying the information in the presentations can be “life-changing for kids” and will hopefully be shared further among county students in the future.
Riley also addressed work being done among first responders helping refer folks to some of the services the task force has been working to build.
“The commitment that all law enforcement and EMS personnel have to Crisis Intervention Team training has remained strong since our initial training in 2020 in Monroe County,” Riley said. “It is so beneficial to a community when all first responders work together closely to provide great care to people who live there. It is also very helpful when those same groups understand mental health and problematic substance use and know how to interact with people to get them the help they need early.”
