Ohio SCIP Application

Ohio Project Plan
 

As the State Administering Agency for the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) grant number15PBJA-23-GG-00027-BSCI, the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Service (OCJS) has been facilitating the meetings required of the Crisis Intervention Advisory Board (hereinafter CIAB or Board) for SCIP planning.

In  addition to the previously approved BJA projects Ohio is seeking approval for the following projects.

Noble County Court of Common Pleas was approved by the CIAB on October 11, 2023. The project demonstrates a direct connection to crisis intervention by updating Noble County Court cases to allow law enforcement, prosecutors, public defenders to research a Defendant and or individual involved in a case that the person has been ORDERED by the Court to turn over any and all firearms to law enforcement and restricts a person from owning any firearms. This will allow BCI backgrounds checks to move quickly. This system can allow law enforcement and/or firearm vendors to perform a more thorough background check.  BJA Required Local Pass-through (<$10,000). The project start date is January 2, 2024 and end date is December 30, 2024.   

         -   Unison Behavioral Health Group which was established in Lucas County in 1995. In 2018 Unison expanded into Wood County and is the designated provider of all crisis services in that county, including a newly opened Crisis Stabilization Unit. Unison offers a continuum of care for adult clients including assessment, case management, individual and group therapy, substance use disorder treatment, ACT, and psychiatric medication management. Unison is one of 20 agencies in Ohio to have a contract with Aetna to provide high intensity fidelity wraparound services to youth and families which includes a wide range of services. The project will purchase and deliver training to support teams in improving intervention skills, which will reduce rehospitalizations, reduce homelessness, and increase employment of ACT participants. The project will also support hiring a Benefits Specialist, a position that is consistent with ACT/FACT best practices to further enhance services.

The project is in the BJA State share (60% per formula), local funding purpose area. The project start date is February 1, 2024 and end date is January 31, 2026. The project was approved by the CIAB on November 7, 2023 and affirmed with adjusted budget for the addition of a Benefits Specialist on January 26, 2024.

Shaker Heights Police Department The City of Shaker Heights acknowledged the need for an alternative to a police response and began a pilot program in January 2022. The Mental Health Response Program (MHRP) partnership is between the city, and a community mental health agency, MetroHealth/Recovery Resources. The MHRP has one full-time Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) who responds in real time. The MHRP has access to an unmarked police vehicle, Motorola radio, laptop computer, and cellular phone. The MHRP communicates with first responders and dispatch center via Motorola radio. Once on scene, the MHRP engages with the person in crisis and first responders to determine next steps for the individual. The Regional Mobile Response Program is built on an already existing partnership between the city of Shaker Heights and MetroHealth/Recovery Resources. The project proposed will expand and enhance the Mental Health Response Program into surrounding communities and Regional Mobile Crisis Response (RMCR) by putting a licensed mental health professional in the 911 center to assist individuals in crisis as well as first responders. The expansion is expected to serve a total population of approximately 117,000 and the communities of: University Heights, Cleveland Heights, South Euclid, Richmond Heights, and Regional Dispatch Center Chagrin Valley Dispatch (CVD). 

The project start date is January 1, 2024 and end date is January 1, 2026. The project is in the BJA Required Local Pass-through (Direct) local funding purpose area and was approved by the CIAB on January 26, 2024.

Allen-Auglaize-Hardin County: Coleman Behavioral Health – through the Allen County Mental Health Addiction Recovery Board Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin, CIT (Crisis Intervention Teams) training is currently offered once a year. The 40-hour training includes Mental Health First Aid/Public Safety. The training also includes multiple provider agency education and site visits including specialty docket courts, mental health/substance use services, and crisis services. CIT advanced is held annually as a 2-day class as a refresher after 5 years of completing CIT. Evidence shows a lack of participants to fill a training. It is encouraged that, at minimum, one staff member per shift be trained in CIT to assist with Mental Health Crises. Law enforcement is having a difficult time removing folks from their job for the 40-hour training due to the demand of their respective positions. The staffing crisis and shortage is impacting the ability to take Law Enforcement away from their day-to-day duties for a 40-hour training.

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, alongside their certified prevention agency, Prevention and Support Services (PASS), intend to increase training opportunities (frequency, flexibility) which will promote: safety, education, decrease gun violence, decrease self-harm/suicide, increase knowledge of behavioral health services, and collaborate more effectively in the community. The project start date is July 1, 2024 and end date is September 30, 2026. The project is in the BJA Required Local Pass-through (Direct) local funding purpose area and was approved by the CIAB on January 26, 2024.

Greene County: Fairborn Municipal Drug Court – Judge Cappelli. The Supreme Court of Ohio certified the Fairborn Municipal Court as a specialized drug docket in 2015, and the court has been recertified in 2017, 2020, and 2023. Since its implementation, the court has had 57 participants, of which 43% were successful, with 11 % receiving a neutral discharge and 60% of participants are female, 40% male. The project proposal will support the assignment of a second drug court probation officer. This officer maintains a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant License from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board. It will also allow the court to increase drug testing with those in treatment in phase one of the program with the goal to assist keeping the participants accountable for sobriety – one of the primary objectives during phase one. Lastly, the funding will provide defendants who otherwise don’t have transportation to and from court with bus tokens for Greene County transit system which is the only means of public transit in Greene County. The project start date is January 1, 2024 and end date is January 1, 2026. The project is in the BJA Required Local Pass-through (Direct) category and was approved by the CIAB January 26, 2024.

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Mental Health Court – Judge Munson and Drug Court – Judge McIntosh The Franklin County Common Pleas Court, General Division currently has two specialized dockets operating to provide an alternative option for individuals diagnosed with a mental health or substance use disorder. R.I.S.E. (Reaching Individual Success Everyday) Court was established in 2022 by the Honorable Judge Sheryl Munson. It is the first mental health treatment court in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, General Division. The T.I.E.S (Treatment is Essential to Success) Program was the first Treatment Court Specialty Docket established in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court in 2004 by the Honorable Justice Jennifer Brunner and currently presided over by the Honorable Judge Stephen McIntosh. 

The R.I.S.E. and T.I.E.S. dockets have specific eligibility criteria that individuals must meet for acceptance into the programs. One of the most important components of selecting appropriate docket participants is the proper assessment and diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorders.

There are a significant number of individuals who are referred to the R.I.S.E. specialty docket without having a completed diagnostic evaluation. Most T.I.E.S. specialty docket referrals have not completed a diagnostic evaluation prior or do not have an up-to-date diagnostic evaluation on file. Further, many agencies that perform mental health or substance abuse disorder assessments accept Ohio Medicaid insurance, which poses increased difficulty with many of these referrals currently incarcerated. Some clinicians offer self-pay options for assessments, but many specialty docket participants enter the programs indigent. Assessment, intervention, and compliance are three critical components of running a successful specialty docket/treatment court. Both the R.I.S.E. and T.I.E.S. docket would like to increase the number of assessments that are completed while an individual is incarcerated, provide quality trauma and financial literacy intervention, and increase compliance to self-help meetings by holding participants accountable and providing the court with detailed reports. Not having adequate assessments, intervention, financial literacy, and monitored compliance can interfere with each specialty docket’s outcomes and the specialty docket participants overall in the program and long-term recovery and increase the risk of relapse and recidivism.  

The project start date is February 1, 2024 and end date is February 2, 2026 and is in the BJA Required Local Pass-through (Direct) category. Project approval was deferred by the CIAB on January 26, 2024 so that more information could be provided regarding the financial literacy program component. Additional information was compiled and reviewed by the CIAB. On February 23, 2024 the CIAB approved the project.

Medina County Court of Common Pleas Medina County, characterized by its varied population of 182,470 residents, socio-economic factors, and diverse geographic regions, presents unique challenges in addressing SUD within the high-risk, high-needs population. Understanding the demographic nuances is crucial for tailoring effective interventions and legal support mechanisms. Compounding these challenges is the absence of a public defender's office in Medina County, making consistent and affordable legal representation an even greater challenge for individuals in need.

To address the challenges posed by substance abuse disorders, the Medina Intervention Program (MIP) was established in 2014, and in September 2023, the Medina County Court of Common Pleas received precertification from the Supreme Court of Ohio for a second specialty docket, the Medina County Recovery Court (MCRC). Both programs aim to support law enforcement and prevent future crimes by providing court-supervised programs for participants with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and provide services and resources to high risk/high need individuals with substance use disorders in the criminal justice system in Medina County. Further, the programs utilize the overall goals and objectives within the NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practices Standards and the 10 key components. From January 2022 – December 2023, the MIP had a total of 38 enrolled participants: 25 successfully graduated (66%), 11 were terminated unsuccessfully (29%) and two were neutral terminations (5%). (Due to the MCRC beginning its docket at the end of 2023, there is not any data for terminations to date.)

The certified drug court dockets rely on a team of volunteer attorneys to provide legal representation for a high-risk, high-needs population identified by the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS). Challenges with this model: Persistent high turnover, Gaps in service, Lack of understanding of legal rights, Increased risks of committing new offenses.

The project proposal is the implementation of a Specialty Court Reimbursement Plan and represents a significant advancement in legal support within specialty courts, particularly for drug court participants. It will allow legal counsel to submit a unified fee application for their comprehensive services to a Specialty Court, introducing a range of benefits that extend beyond administrative efficiency. Attorneys will spend approximately sixteen (16) hours per month attending team meetings, preparing for hearings, representing participants in Court, and/or attending training. The project start date is February 1, 2024 and the end date is September 30, 2026. The project is in the BJA Required Local Pass-through category and was approved by the CIAB on January 26, 2024.

Hamilton County Juvenile Court – Judge Bloom Judge Kari Bloom was elected in 2020 to serve the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division for a six-year term, which began on February 14, 2021. On Jan. 1, 2023 she became the administrative judge.The court is interested in creating a Domestic Violence (DV) specialized docket, recognizing that domestic violence charges (misdemeanors and felonies) is the predicate charge bringing kids into the system when there is turmoil in the household. Research guides us to catch those kids and families to provide immediate, wrap-around services to prevent further criminal contact. Prevalence statistics include 492 DV cases filed in 2022/2023; 269 in 2022; and 223 through November: 223 and of those 76 may be excluded from project due to felony DV and imminent harm charges. The goal of the project is to decrease subsequent DV charges through the implementation and development of Risk Assessment, timely connection to services which increases engagement, accountability/follow-up, and a dedicated team to assist in engagement, increase service connection, and reduce court involvement for family related issues. The project start date is June 1, 2024 and the end date is May 31, 2026. The project is in the BJA Required Local Pass-through (Direct) category and was preliminarily approved by the CIAB on January 26, 2024 pending final submission.

Project Update: On April 23, 2024 OCJS was notified that the ODVS has decided to decline funding for this project. The January 22, 2024 GAM included the Peer Support for Veterans: Crisis Intercept Mapping (CIM) Support & Drug Task Force Pilot Program with the Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS) as the lead agency. ODVS partnered with state agencies and worked with local veteran organizations to identify gaps in mental health services and offer assistance.