Correctional Mental Health Services offers a “carve-out” Mental Health Service for the treatment of the mentally ill within detention centers. We are not an independent medical service per se, but we do provide psychiatric services from screening, to treatment and follow-up after release. Our clearly spelled out Policies and Procedures allow us to co-exist with existing medical services. We can also provide substance abuse treatment as part of our comprehensive Mental Health Service or we can coordinate care with existing substance abuse services.
We believe that the only way to effectively manage mental illness within a jail is to provide a comprehensive Mental Health Service that is responsible for all who enter, from intake to release. CMHS provides a set of individualized Policies and Procedures for each institution we serve. These Policies and Procedures, which are in accordance with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care standards, include a complete description of the care process, specifically designed for that institution. Our procedures also address how to provide for safe and effective needs assessments, administration of treatment and follow-up care. Furthermore, these protocols provide for cost-efficient, yet appropriate and fiscally responsible care within a facility.
Our Mission
Correctional Mental Health Services’ mission is to provide a comprehensive Mental Health Service to detention centers tailored to meet the individual needs of each institution. We believe in respectful, humane treatment of the mentally ill and provide a Mental Health Service that includes: thorough screenings of all intakes, complete assessments, effective treatment, safe management of the jail milieu, case management into the community and ongoing training for correctional staff. Correctional Mental Health Services recognizes the unique nature of the correctional setting and promotes cooperation with the correctional staff in the management of mentally ill detainees. We respect the confidentiality of our patients and balance that with the security needs of the institutions we serve.
