Many people lack access to mental health services that save money and keep people out of jail

When it comes to giving at-risk Americans access to the mental health services they need, prevention is far better than incarceration, a new study confirms.

However, most of the 950 U.S. counties examined in the report do not have Provides access to mental health and substance use disorder services that can save communities money and prevent incarceration.

“Most counties provide only a fraction of the community services needed to keep people out of jail,” said study author Jennifer Johnson, a public health professor at Michigan State University.

“We hope that by publishing this article, county administrators will consider the list of services they do not yet provide and seek to make them a reality,” Johnson added in a university news release.

Her team investigated the availability of 59 mental health practices known to help at-risk populations stay healthy.

The survey asked representatives from the counties surveyed whether such programs would be available to “police, 911, courts, jails, and probation and parole personnel.”

The results were disappointing. For example, only about 29% of counties offer permanent supportive housing for people with mental health conditions, and even fewer (about 27%) offer so-called assertive community treatment.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, assertive community treatment is “treatment, rehabilitation, and support services that use a person-centered, recovery-based approach” and primarily focuses on people with the illness schizophrenia. .

Johnson’s group says supportive housing and active treatment in the community are both proven to help stabilize people with severe mental illness and keep them out of prison. he pointed out.

Access to such programs is often geography-dependent, with availability far more limited in rural counties than in urban areas, the study found.

One particularly troubling issue was that if a person spent even one day in jail, their Medicaid privileges would be suspended. After the person is released, it often takes time to re-access Medicaid.

That can be disastrous for people who are dependent on psychiatric drugs, Johnson said.

“There are people who are standing in line at the pharmacy to get their medication and they’re told, ‘Your Medicaid is going to be suspended because you’re in jail,’ and yet they’re standing right there,” she said. said. .

The research results were published in the March issue of the same journal. psychiatric services.

There are other ways people can stay out of prison and remain stable by improving access to health programs.

For example, the researchers noted, ensuring access to treatments that reduce pain can prevent people from becoming addicted to opioids.

Employment centers can also help alleviate poverty and homelessness, and walk-in crisis centers can also prevent incarceration.

The bottom line, Johnson said, is that permanent housing and employment, combined with professional and peer support, is “better and 100 per cent cheaper than keeping people in prison. “The goal is to keep people treated and stabilized in the community.” Don’t cycle through your local jail. ”