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Mental Health
Correctional Health Services (CHS) Mental Health Service offers a full continuum of care from intake through release. Individuals entering the jail receive an initial integrated health screening which identifies mental health needs and/or suicidal ideation.
Providing For Acute & Ongoing Mental Health
To provide for the needs of individuals with acute and ongoing mental health needs, each jail has a clinic with assigned Mental Health staff and a psychiatric provider. Individual, group and specialized mental health treatment/programs are available to individuals according to their level of need.
Mental Health Housing Units
In the event that an individual is not stable for general population housing, they are sent to one of the Mental Health Housing Units (MHU) at the Lower Buckeye Jail. The MHU has a male and female acute admission unit, as well as sub-acute and step down treatment units for individuals preparing to return to general population housing.
Collaboration & Communication With Community Providers
Via the jail data link, CHS can identify individuals who are designated Seriously Mentally Ill and are registered with the Regional Behavioral Health Authority that covers Maricopa County and Central Arizona residents.
CHS endeavors to communicate with existing community behavioral health providers at the earliest opportunity to effect continuity of care, including current medications and to provide community transition planning to assist individuals with significant mental health needs as they prepare to return to the community.
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Correctional Health Services (CHS) provides medical services for over 7,000 patients in 6 jails. All 6 jails have Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) certification.
Continuity Methadone Treatment
Estrella, Lower Buckeye, Towers, Watkins, and 4th Avenue jails currently provide continuity methadone treatment for patients who were already enrolled in a methadone program in the community, prior to arrest. Because of this, patients no longer need to have their methadone stopped when they get arrested, likely reducing relapses of opioid abuse, upon release to the community. In addition, methadone is provided to pregnant patients who are opioid dependent, in order to protect the fetus.
Court Collaboration
CHS also works in collaboration with the drug courts to offer Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) to patients suffering from opioid dependence, in which those at high risk for opioid relapse are started on methadone in jail.
The Opioid Treatment Program includes administration of methadone, mental health counseling, and discharge planning.
All of these components are integral to a successful program, in an effort to prevent future relapse on opioids.
Correctional Health Services (CHS) has implemented the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) recommended Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (S-BIRT) system.
All individuals who remain in custody past Initial Appearance receive a health assessment which includes evidence based alcohol and drug screening questions. CHS aims to provide further substance abuse assessment to moderate to high needs individuals to determine the need for substance abuse programming in jail and referral to community treatment.
CHS staff work to provide brief interventions to individuals with substance abuse problems to create awareness and increase motivation for change.
Additional information can be found at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration