The National GAINS Center for Systemic Change for Justice-Involved People with Mental Illness
In 2003, the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ), Labor (DOL), Education (DOEd), Housing and Urban Development (DHUD), and Health and Human Services (DHHS), funded 69 grantees to implement reentry programs for persons returning to communities from correctional institutions.
The Serious and Violent Reentry Initiative (SVORI) provided funding to develop reentry strategies focusing on the safety of the community and the reduction of serious, violent crime. Grants to all 50 States, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands received a total of approximately $110 million to develop new or expand existing programs offering integrated supervision and reentry services to adults or juveniles leaving correctional facilities. The goal of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) is to reduce the likelihood of re-incarceration by providing tailored supervision and services to improve the odds for a successful transition to the community. Grantees were permitted to target juvenile and /or adult offenders considered to be a high risk for recidivism who are returning from commitment in a state training school, juvenile, or adult correctional facility, or where appropriate, a residential treatment facility.
The National GAINS Center through a partnership with Caliber Associates developed the accompanying matrix that describes the 11 SVORI Reentry Projects that include offenders with serious mental illnesses returning to the community. Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is defined as a diagnosable mental disorder found in persons aged 18 years and older that is so long lasting and severe that it seriously interferes with a person’s ability to take part in major life activities (Source: SAMHSA).We hope that this information will facilitate contacts across states and stimulate more programming for this population. For more information about the SVORI evaluation component, please visit http://www.svori-evaluation.org.
| SVORI Grantee | Program Narrative | Population | Targeted Services |
Colorado Department of Corrections |
Colorado’s Reentry Court for the Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) program is using grant funds to develop and implement the Colorado Affirms Reentry Effort (CARE) Project, which will target 205 serious and violent offenders each year. This includes 60 adult offenders returning to the Denver area, 25 adult offenders with mental illness returning to El Paso County, 15 juveniles from the Youth Offender System returning to the Denver area, and 100 Division of Youth Corrections youth returning to the City and County of Denver. Most of the offenders in this Colorado program have co-occurring substance use and mental disorders and therefore are at high risk for violence, re-offense, and technical violations of parole conditions. In the Court Reentry program, parole board members sit as judges in court, which allows the intermediate sanctions and incentives to be administered more quickly and therefore may have more immediate impact. The project is partnering with various agencies to provide services in the areas of workforce participation, housing, family reunification, faith-based support, and mentoring. |
Adults / Male and Female Youthful offenders (n=100+) Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Persons: | Joe Stommel, M.S., Chief of Rehabilitation Programs, CO Department of Corrections Phone: (719) 226-4615 David J. Chaffee, CARE Grant Coordinator, Phone: (303) 825-1115 x19 Carl Wotowis Reentry Court Coordinator Phone: (303) 763-2420 |
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Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) |
The Connecticut Offender Reentry Program (CORP) is a collaboration of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services with the Department of Corrections, the Judicial Branch’s Court Support Services Division (Probation), Board of Parole and University of Connecticut Health Center. CORP provides pre-release group programming and intensive case management services to serious and violent offenders with a severe and persistent mental illness who are returning to Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport. CORP will expand culturally appropriate intensive case management and integrate mental health and substance abuse treatment services for recently released men and women who have significant mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders. Reentry plans are developed with the offender that address follow up mental health and substance abuse treatment as well as housing options to help prevent homelessness upon release. |
Adults / Male and Female and offenders ages 18+ (n=120) Persons with SMI only |
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| Contact Person: |
Colette Orszulak, Program Manager, Connecticut Offender Reentry Program Phone: (860) 262-6296 | ||
Hawaii Department of Public Safety |
Maui Economic Opportunity Inc.’s B.E.S.T (Being Empowered and Safe Together) Reintegration program targets adult offenders ages 18–35 who are released from the Maui Community Correctional Center located in Wailuku on the island of Maui. Participation is voluntary. The Department of Public Safety is partnering with various service agencies to address recidivism, substance abuse, and physical and mental health and to support workforce participation, housing, family reunification, faith-based support, and mentoring. Phase 1 (6 months) includes a risk and needs assessment and offender participation in reentry planning. Inmates are matched with a community-based mentor. Phase 2 (12 months) includes further assessments, a graduated system of intermediate sanctions, job training, and assistance with mental health and substance abuse treatment services. Phase 3 (18+ months) includes continuation of mentoring and specific targeted services as needed. Coordination of case management services is provided by representatives from multiple community service providers and/or corrections agencies. |
Adults / Male and Female Ages 18-35 Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Person: |
Carrie Ann Shirota, Director, B.E.S.T Project Phone: (808) 249-2990 | ||
Kansas Department of Corrections |
The Kansas Shawnee County Reentry Program (SCRP) targets offenders who have served a minimum of 12 months in prison and are assessed as high risk for re-offending. The targeted population will be released to Shawnee County. Starting 12 months prior to release, offenders are assessed for needs and assigned a reentry case manager who develops a case plan, targeting risk areas, and coordinates services with a “boundary spanner” who brokers services across all phases. At 6 months, a transitional team meeting is held, which includes a police officer from Topeka (Shawnee County) and the parole officer who will be assigned the case on release, along with the offender, reentry case manager, mentor, and service providers. The plan is updated and further goals identified for the last 6 months. During the 12 month period prior to release, the offender works on his/her plan, attending classes, doing cognitive work, preparing for housing, treatment after release, etc. As needed, as the offender nears release (4-6 months), he or she is connected to services in the community, including treatment (mental health and substance abuse), medical care, family services, housing and job preparedness. After the offender is released, the reentry case manager continues to work with the offender, providing support and addressing needs and risk areas, while the parole officer addresses supervision. The reentry case manager and parole officer work closely together. If the offender is stabilized at 6 months, s/he graduates from reentry, but can come back for services and support as needed. |
Adults / Male and Female Persons with SMI are served through an existing Kansas DOC program called Community Offender Reentry (COR) Pathways that specifically works with offenders with severe and persistent mental illness or serious mental illness; the SCRP works closely with COR-Pathways when the offender is SPMI or SMI. |
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| Contact Persons: | Jonathan Ogletree, Program Director, Kansas Department of Corrections Phone: (785) 291-3203 Margie Phelps, Reentry Director, Kansas Department of Corrections Phone: (785) 296-3128 |
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Minnesota Department of Corrections |
Minnesota’s Serious and Violent Youthful Offender Reentry Project provides institutional and community-based transition services to offenders ages 16–34 from Hennepin County. Participants are randomly selected and must volunteer to participate. In Phase 1 of the reentry preparation (45 days pre-release), participants transfer to a pre-release facility for orientation and treatment plan development. Phase 2 (45 days) includes community-based services and case management. Phase 3, which lasts up to 1 year, involves informal social control, including informal self-assessments to determine needed services. Mental health agency case managers work with all offenders diagnosed with SMI to connect them with available services. |
Adults / Male and Female Youthful offenders Ages 16-34 (n=201+) Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Person: | Dave Ellis, Project Director, Phone: (612) 879-3813 | ||
Nevada Department of Corrections |
Nevada’s Going Home Prepared program targets male and female offenders ages 14–35 from the southern region of the state. Collaborative partnerships among state agencies, local law enforcement agencies, mental health agencies, employment agencies, and various drug treatment, faith-based, and community service organizations provide comprehensive reintegration services. Participation is mandatory once enrolled. Phase I - at least 6 months pre-release, in addition to classes, includes reentry planning (individualized), risk assessment and mental health diagnostic assessment; Phase II - first 12 months post release, includes reentry court, case management by probation and parole officers, social workers, as well as wraparound services and risk reassessment near end of phase II, Phase III - after the first 12 months and ongoing services as needed. The network has been established and individuals can access services through the network of community providers. However, these would not be paid through SVORI funding, but by leveraging services that already exist in the community. |
Male and female adults and youthful offenders ages 14-35 (n=201+) Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Person: | Dana Serrata, M.S., Re-Entry Coordinator, Southern Desert Correctional Center Phone: (702) 879-3800 | ||
Oklahoma Department of Corrections |
The PROTECT Oklahoma County reentry program targets high-risk offenders ages 18–35. The program focuses on the treatment needs of each offender being released, utilizing a coordinated reentry plan developed and implemented by a team of corrections and community-based transition staff. The focal point for community services is the local Workforce Oklahoma offices and the Oklahoma City Weed and Seed Office. The program design focuses on improved assessment, information sharing, and outreach to the community during the incarceration stage. These efforts are to be combined with community outreach into correctional facilities during the period immediately preceding the offender’s return to the community. The expanded force of transition workers coordinating the variety of available services supports seamless delivery of services to address the needs of the targeted offenders returning to Oklahoma County. The partners in the SVORI project consider persons with SMI, including those with a co-occurring disorder, a priority population in the initiative. The project funds a transition worker in the Oklahoma County Crisis Center to work with offenders with SMI. |
Adults / Male and Female Ages 18-35 (n=201+) Persons with SMI a priority. |
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| Contact Person: |
Bill McCollum, Grant Administrator, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Phone: (918) 581-2002 | ||
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections |
The Erie, Pennsylvania Reentry Project (EPRP) targets offenders, ages 18–35, committed from Erie County, or returning to Erie County. Pennsylvania’s reentry program includes services such as community correction centers, employment training, educational services, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, medical services, restitution, housing assistance, community support services, life skills training, family support and reunification services, intensive post-release supervision, and case management. Participants move through a 3-phase process: the Institution Phase, Phase 1, pre-release; the Community Corrections Phase, Phase 2, post release; and the Parole Phase or Independent Living, Phase 3. They do not have medical personnel in the Community Corrections Centers, so the program includes offenders with SMI when they are able to be independent in terms of monitoring their illness, as well as taking medication without prompting with minimal support from staff in the community. |
Adults / Male and Female Ages 18–35 (n=201+) Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Person: | Marcia Combine, Center Director, BCC - Region 3 Phone: (412 ) 770 -1447 | ||
Virginia Department of Corrections |
Virginia’s Going Home to Stay (VASAVOR) includes mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, educational training, employment assistance, community and family reunification services, life skills management training, intensive case management, and supervision. Participation is mandatory and only for persons who have been convicted of a serious or violent offense. Participants are supported through all phases of the program by a Transition Team made up of a case liaison, employment representative, mental health representative, and supervisory staff. Participants with SMI receive mental health services from the Community Services Board. The services include needs and risk assessments, medication, and programming. |
Adults / Male and Female Ages 18 and forward (n=151–200) Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Person: |
R. Mario Woodard, Program Director, Virginia Department of Corrections Phone: (804) 674-3557 | ||
Washington State Department of Corrections |
Washington State’s Going Home program targets both adult and juvenile offenders between the ages of 13 and 35 who are housed at one of the five pilot DOC institutions or any of the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration facilities. Adult participants are identified through assessment as the most at risk to re-offend against a person, and juveniles assessed as requiring intensive parole. All must release to the community by June 30, 2006. Video conferencing equipment has been installed and is utilized by all institutions and communities to link the offender with the community and resources prior to release. Neighborhood Readiness Teams — NRT (composed of 3-4 individuals from the offenders releasing community) — work directly with the offender prior to release, while in the community on supervision, and when released from supervision connecting them to community resources. Education Advisors in each county work with schools, offenders, and family members to ensure a seamless reentry into school for juvenile offenders and assists adult offenders in getting education services and entry into college. Participation is mandatory for those that meet all criteria when space available. The program spans from 18 months pre-release to an indefinite time post-release depending on needs of the offender and bonding to the NRT. |
Adults/ Male and Female Youthful offenders Ages 13–35 (n=400+) 150 adults and 250 juveniles Persons with SMI included — population will also include high risk sex offenders and offenders with special medical needs. |
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| Contact Person: |
Candy Curl, Grant Implementation Manager, WA Department of Corrections Phone: (360) 725-8675 | ||
| West Virginia Division of Corrections |
The West Virginia Offender Reentry Program utilizes parole officers in rural areas where law enforcement officers are not as available. The Unit Team and Parole staff monitor participants and impose graduated sanctions for noncompliance, such as loss of privileges, termination from the program, time added to the period of incarceration, and return to a higher level supervision of custody. During Phase I, incarcerated offenders participate in the development of their reentry plan, and communication links between case managers, parole office, and community resources are established. Six months prior to discharge (Phase 2) reentry planning focuses on family, relationships, employment, and residential planning, with involvement of community service providers. Phase 3 (12 months) involves linking of institutional and community groups to provide a continuum of case management and supervision. In 2006, the program plans to conduct a pilot of an aftercare concept for offenders with SMI being released to communities from the state’s maximum-security mental health unit. The services will include aftercare case management, transportation, and emergency medications for up to 20 offenders at a time. |
Adults/ Male and Female Ages 18–24 (n=201+) Persons with SMI included |
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| Contact Person: | Teresa McCourt, Director of Programs, WV Division of Corrections Phone: (304) 558-2036 | ||
| Gains@prainc.com | The CMHS National GAINS Center | GainsTAPA@prainc.com |
| 800.311.GAIN | 866.518.TAPA | |
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