Mental Health
Upon arrival to the ACDF
Any client that is booked into the ACDF can be screened/assessed by a Department of Human Services (DHS) staff member. Referrals can be made from the moment the client enters the booking area and can happen at any point through the processing juncture. Referrals are made by deputies, an Inmate Services Counselor (ISC), medical staff or at the client’s request.
Initial assessments are conducted by DHS staff between the hours of 8:00 AM - 7:30 PM, Monday - Friday, and 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM on Saturday. All non-emergent referrals made to DHS outside of those days/hours are seen immediately the next business day. In the event an emergent mental health issues arises outside of the Jail DHS business hours; Emergency DHS can be contacted for assistance. Mental Health assessments are utilized to determine risk of suicide, mental health history of psychotropic medications, hospitalizations, community treatment, substance use history, withdrawal concerns, housing recommendations, psychiatric referrals, referrals to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and emergency custody orders (ECO).
During their time at ACDF
While clients remain in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office, they are offered multiple opportunities to engage in treatment based off diagnostic criteria, housing location, and program eligibility requirements.
The Mental Health Unit (MHU) is staffed with one designated DHS staff member, responsible for conducting check-ins 4x weekly, with the clients housed on this status. In this role, DHS is responsible for case management, crisis intervention, psychoeducation, skill building, and coordination with community partners.
- For clients housed on restrictive housing status, they are assigned a designated DHS staff member, who is responsible for completing therapeutic interventions regularly. This DHS staff member focuses specifically on, helping the clients increase their distress tolerance and reduce negative behaviors, with a goal of moving back into a general population housing unit. Interventions provided are found on a basis of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and include journal prompts, worksheets and individual check-ins.
- The Addictions, Corrections, Treatment (ACT) Program is a 37-week substance use treatment program for clients with a diagnosis of Substance Dependence. This program offers group and individual therapy and utilizes Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) as its evidenced based treatment modality. This program is run as an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and is partially funded through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) federal grant. Other groups offered in this program include Men’s Trauma and Recovery, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, Peer Recovery Specialist Training, and Matrix Model.
- Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programming began in October 2022, after completing a study funded through NIDA, with the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN). This program is a joint venture with the Sheriff’s Office, DHS and the medical vendor. There is an assigned DHS staff member, who is solely responsible for completing assessments and engaging with clients, who are identified as having Opioid Use Disorder. The services for these clients range from providing emergency NARCAN kits/backpacks, coordinating with defense attorneys to provide viable treatment options, completing ASAM assessments to determine appropriate levels of care, and providing individual therapy to address underlying stressors/triggers.
- For clients housed in general population, they have access to DHS staff between the hours of 8:00 AM - 730 PM, Monday-Friday, and 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM on Saturday. DHS provides supportive contact, crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, case management, psychiatric referrals, and death notifications. Group therapy is offered to general population clients in accordance with their security classification. There are two designated DHS staff to provide these services.
- The Mental Health Assessment Process (MHAP) is a joint venture with Circuit Court Judge Daniel S. Fiore, II, DHS and District 10 Probation and Parole. Referrals are made via Judge Fiore’s courtroom, and there is a designated DHS staff member who is responsible for conducting a comprehensive assessment on the client, to determine diagnostic criteria for mental health and substance use disorders. Treatment recommendations are made in accordance with diagnostic criteria and client needs.
Post/Reentry from ACDF
All clients who have been assessed in the ACDF and have been determined to meet the criteria for serious mental illness, are flagged through the records department. These clients are required to be assessed by DHS staff prior to their release from the facility. If the clients present as suicidal, homicidal or with an inability to care for themselves in the community, DHS will petition the magistrate’s office, for the client to be transported to the hospital for further evaluation via an Emergency Custody Order (ECO). If the client does not meet this threshold of care, safety and re-entry planning will occur at this juncture, and the client will be assisted in returning to their locality.
For clients leaving the ACDF and re-entering the community, DHS has three designated staff to assist those clients, with that transition. Two of these positions are funded through a grant via the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). The 3rd position is designated to only work with clients, who have required treatment, at one of the state hospitals. Services for these clients include the following:
- Shelter intakes and referrals
- Transportation from the ACDF via staff transport, metro cards, or cab vouchers
- Connection to outpatient mental health and substance use treatment programs in the DMV area
- Follow up assistance in the community for up to 90 days to ensure full connection to outside treatment
- Clothing/Shoe assistance
- Rental assistance
- Gift Cards
- Backpacks with hygiene products