STEPPING IN FOR DIVERSION There are various points in which local entities can help divert people with mental illnesses from jail and into appropriate programs. 911 Dispatchers, police and county deputies have an opportunity to divert people with mental illnesses when a 911 call is received by collaborating with county health service providers.
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supporting public health and mitigat- ing the spread of COVID-19. With an expected completion date in 2025, the expansion will convert the 24-bed infir- mary at the detention center to a 450- bed facility, according to the county’s 2021 recovery plan. Officials have selected an architect for the $134.1 million building, and are in bimonthly meetings with county staff to nail down the project scope. County Administrator Bill Bilyeu said the project will go out to bid later this year to begin construction. Identifying the need Richardson’s Crisis Intervention Team is made up of police officers, Richardson ISD resource officers and Methodist Richardson staff members. The team responds to cases involving people who are suicidal and individuals dealing with issues related to depres- sion, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 17% of adults in Texas are living with a mental illness in 2022. Richardson Police Department officials have said one of the goals of the program is to use local medical resources to improve the lives of those needing help whether they are arrested or not. According to department data, Rich- ardson police officers respond to hun- dreds of calls a year related to mental health issues. To further support mental and medical health services, Collin County received just under $201 mil- lion from the American Rescue Plan Act’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Collin County commissioners approved of these funds in August 2021 to be used for infrastructure that not only supports public health,
BOOKING
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
ARRIVAL AT JAIL
Detention officers, a psychiatrist and a representative from LifePath Systems screen the person for mental illness and risk of suicide.
FIRST COURT HEARING
Peace officers arrive on scene or encounter a person experiencing a mental health crisis.
Officials determine if the case qualifies for a special court hearing or a court- ordered treatment.
DIVERSION POINT
DIVERSION POINT
Officers may provide mental health referral information or assist the person to a treatment facility.
Some people are taken to an emergency room or temporary mental health facility to prevent harm to themselves or others until the person is stable.
DIVERSION POINT
LifePath Systems Competency Restoration Program: People in jail who are not competent to stand trial receive medication and education until they understand their charges.
SOURCES: COLLIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, LIFEPATH SYSTEMS/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
but also “people with barriers to ser- vices,” the plan stated. Community input coupled with trends observed by area officials led to the decision to expand the jail’s infir- mary to better serve patients. About 25% of the county’s average daily inmate population have men- tal health needs, according to a Collin County analysis that spanned from 2015-19. These needs range from people on court-ordered medication, any level of suicide watch or alerts for mental ill- ness, according to the report. Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental illnesses seen in the jail, LifePath Systems Director Tammy Mahan said. LifePath Systems, the county’s designated behavioral health and disabilities authority, collaborates with the jail and its staff psychiatrist. People who have schizophrenia interpret reality abnormally, and symp- toms range from hallucinations to disorganized speech, according to the
Mayo Clinic. Mahan said the way schizophrenia symptoms manifest cause people with the disorder to frequently be charged with lower-level crimes. “That’s one of those issues we’ve been trying to work with, both with all of our local law enforcement as well as the jail and the sheriff’s department of [diverting] those people,” Mahan said. Diversion and treatment options The Collin County Sheriff’s Office is one of the local law enforcement enti- ties working with LifePath Systems on jail diversion. When a deputy sheriff responds to a call involving someone who may need mental health services, they have options depending on the severity of the situation, Sheriff Jim Skinner said. A deputy sheriff may provide refer- ral information to the person or family; help the person with voluntary admis- sion into a treatment facility; or arrest the person, when justified. Peace officers throughout Texas, including police officers, deputy sher- iffs and constables throughout Richard- son as well as Collin and Dallas counties, receive training on crisis intervention, a methodology intended to de-escalate and assist people experiencing a mental health crisis. Skinner said crisis intervention training consists of learning about commonly encountered mental health conditions; effective communication skills for a person who may be in crisis; and statistics and debunking myths about mental illness. The faster the county is able to move
An inmate’s case is resolved as either guilty or not guilty. DISPOSITION
JAIL
PRISON
PAROLE
PROBATION
RETURN TO COMMUNITY
a person with mental illness through the criminal justice system, the better, Mahan said. “The longer somebody’s in jail, the more unstable their community life becomes,” Mahan said. LifePath has had a jail diversion pro- gram for years that assists people who have been in jail so they do not return. This year, the organization opened its Living Room as a proactive approach. The Living Room is one place law enforcement can bring people who need mental health services, Mahan said. Staff at the Living Room help with job placement, food access, housing needs and more. “The thing we obviously don’t want is that people go to jail just to get ser- vices,” Mahan said.
CHANGING THE COUNTY CAMPUS
Federal funds will change Collin County’s jail campus in McKinney. Six new buildings will be built by the end of 2026.
2026
2022
2023
2024
2025
Infirmary
New booking area New power plant
Public health building or parking deck Public health building or parking deck
Medical examiner building
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
SOURCE: COLLIN COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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