Last Updated on August 19, 2021 by Four County
LOGANSPORT, Ind. – Four County and Cass County criminal justice departments have been long partners and now are expanding that partnership to jail services. Driven to develop a more robust continuum of care, the relationship has evolved to include embedded services at Cass-Pulaski Community corrections, jail outreach, mobile crisis, and designated criminal justice liaison for the county. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed which allows Four County to roll out a new program of Jail Treatment Services to Cass County Corrections.
Funded by a federal grant, Four County will provide various forms of treatment onsite. Treatment will include: intakes, psychological evaluations, individual and group based treatment curriculum. Services will be provided by Four County Staff and will include a Criminal Justice Liaison, Peer Recovery Specialist, Therapist, Advanced Practice Nurses, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Onsite services will be provided weekly once facilities are completed and plan to begin in September 2021.
“What is particularly unique about this endeavor is how it is funded” states Dr. Carrie Cadwell, CEO of Four County. “Community Mental Health Centers, like Four County, participate in federal block grant dollar programs for mental health and substance use. In 2020, SAMHSA directed Mental Health Commissioners in each state that these funds could be used to support jail treatment. There is no requirement to use the funds for such in Indiana however knowing that jails have become a de facto mental health institution considering how Four County could make a local impact with this new SAMHSA direction was a priority. It is just the right thing to do because there is no current mechanism under Medicaid or through State funds that directly cover the needs for this type of programming. The funding amounts are not extraordinary but the fact is that Four County is finding ways to create local county jail impact in ways that does not cost the county any money. Our goal is to pilot this in Cass County and then be able to expand to other counties from there. We hope that we are paving the way for other community mental health centers to consider targeting block grant fund dollar use for jail treatment needs. We are deeply appreciative of Sheriff Schroder support of this new program.”
Sherriff Ed Schroder remarks, “I am excited about the partnership we have developed with Four County and the opportunity to provide the needed treatment in our facility. This is one more step to provide the tools and treatment to help reduce recidivism and stop the revolving door of incarceration.”
Successful programs such as the Mobile Crisis Team, have highlighted the continual need to develop different ways of support for local law enforcement. With over 736 Mobile Crisis Team deployments since the program launch last September, over 65% inpatient hospitalizations have been diverted in response to mental health and substance use crises and psychiatric emergencies. Onsite Jail Treatment Services is one more giant leap of support Four County continues to provide as the designated local Community Mental Health Center in North Central Indiana.