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Lake County was recently selected to participate in a Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center Sustainability Pilot Program, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, to focus on implementing and sustaining a crisis/wellness center to help link residents experiencing mental health crisis to the services they need.
Lake County’s criminal justice and behavioral health professionals are currently working to build on previous work to help these vulnerable individuals. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office developed a behavioral health diversion program called the Jail High Utilizer Program. Lake County also has a law enforcement deflection program called A Way Out spearheaded by the Lake County Opioid Initiative, where individuals with substance abuse conditions are encouraged to seek help at police departments without fear of arrest. This crisis/wellness care center seeks to leverage the success of these programs by merging them into a 23-hour stabilization unit.
The crisis/wellness center will serve as a space where individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis can receive assistance. The goal is to provide an alternative location for law enforcement officers to bring individuals, who are not a safety risk to themselves or others, to jail or the emergency room. At this center, individuals will meet with social workers and peer specialists who through assessment and referral to services will guide them to start the road to recovery.
Developing a crisis/wellness center has been the mission of the Crisis Center Steering Committee, led by Lake County Chair Sandy Hart.
"Currently, police have only two options when responding to a person in mental health or substance crisis: Jail or the Emergency Room,” said Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart. “Our crisis/wellness center will provide a safe, central, and holistic location for police to drop off an individual 24/7 to receive, within 23 hours, screenings, assessments, and referrals. The center will leverage recovery peers and community counseling professionals to provide emotional support and navigation to the appropriate level of care.”
Continuing to also work with many community partners including the Lake County Opioid Initiative and Nicasa to develop the crisis/wellness care center, the goal is to open a facility in the fall.
The County is working to utilize a database of federal grants to fund the center, avoiding the use of tax dollars, and developing the long-term sustainability of the center. The County, through the help of the CSG Justice Center, is acquiring sustainability tools, resources, and guidance to maximize the use of available federal funding opportunities to develop financially sustainable plans.
Learn more about Lake County’s pilot participation.
Contact
Arin Thrower
Chief Communications Officer
Email
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