Connect to Protect Project in Knox and Waldo Counties Maine

The Co-occurring Community Connection (CCC) Project will expand upon current efforts in Knox and Waldo County, Maine. This project addresses each of the following Connect and Protect priority considerations; Promotes effective strategies by law enforcement to identify and reduce the risk of harm to individuals with Mental Health Disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring Mental Health Substance Use Disorders (MHSUDs) who encounter law enforcement and improve public safety using The Sequential Intercept Model to drive the efforts (page four), promote effective strategies for the identification and treatment of females who have been incarcerated with MHDs or co-occurring MHSUDs and propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism (page six). Use validated assessment tools to target people who have been incarcerated with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment services (page five). This project takes a cross collaborative approach to build trust between law enforcement and the community. The lead application for this project is Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). Knox County population is approximately 41,084 and is 96.4% White, .8 Black, .5 Native American, .7 Asian, 1.6 Hispanic and remaining percentage mixed. Waldo County’s population is 39,912 and is 96.6 White, .6 Black, .5 Native American, .6 Asian, 1.6 Hispanic and remaining population mixed. Both counties' populations are more than 50% female. This project will target 150 men and women who have encounter the criminal justice system. KCSO is requesting $550,000 and has not been a previous recipient. KCSO proposes to utilize Volunteers of America (VOA), a licensed Mental Health Agency, as a subrecipient. KCSO and VOA, along with Waldo County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), plan to evaluate the effectiveness of current efforts by using the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) to identify gaps and execute interventions, by routinely meeting with a collaborative team to implement best practices across counties to help people experiencing mental health and co-occurring disorders to: avoid direct interactions with law enforcement, deescalate crisis situations and resolve conflicts through referrals to community-based resources. The CCC Project includes co-response of MH workers with law enforcement, utilization of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) and reaches into the county jails to focus on increasing engagement with case managers for discharge planning, transitions to reentry and post-release services.