• Robert K. Merwine – DirectorPCCD’s Office of Criminal Justice System Improvements

• Honorable John Zottola – Judge ofCourt of Common Pleas, Allegheny County

• Patty Griffin, PhD. – Senior ConsultantPA Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence

• Terry Moloney Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

June 14, 2013

Housing and the Justice Involved

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)

Who Are We and What Do We Do?

• State Administering Agency (SAA) for the Commonwealth.

• Serves as the justice planning agency for Pennsylvania and administers federal and state justice funds.

• PCCD administers approximately $100 million annually to support initiatives in the areas of Victim Services, Juvenile Justice, and Criminal Justice.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is to enhance the quality of criminal and

juvenile justice systems, facilitate the delivery of services to victims of crime and assist communities to develop and

implement strategies to reduce crime and victimization.

PCCD Mission

PCCD – Advisory Committees

06/2013

PCCDMark R Zimmer

Chairman

Criminal Justice

Population Projections Committee

(CJPPC)

Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention Committee

(JJDPC)

Criminal Justice

Advisory Committee

(CJAC)

Mental Health and

Justice Advisory

Committee(MHJAC)

Research, Evaluation,

Data Collection,

and Analysis Advisory

Committee(REDCAAC)

Victims Services Advisory

Committee(VSAC)

Senior Citizens

Advisory Committee

(SCAC)

Office of Criminal Justice System

Improvements

Bureau of Training Services

• Constables• Deputy

Sheriffs

Law Enforcement

Unit

County Planning Unit

Grants Administration

Technology

Re-entry Unit

PCCD - OCJSI

Criminal Justice Advisory Boards (CJABs) and Housing

• CJABs are groups of top-level county officials which address criminal justice issues from a systemic and policy level perspective. CJABs study best practices in the administration and delivery of criminal justice and recommend ways in which public agencies can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice system within a county.

• In 2008, PCCD through its work with CJABs, identified the issue of individuals with mental illness languishing in county prisons.

PCCD and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)

• In an effort to address the issue of justice-involved individuals with mental illness, PCCD partnered with Department of Public Welfare (DPW) / OMHSAS.

• Through this new found partnership, the following initiatives were funded:

– Ten Mental Health Courts;– Mental Health Procedures Act (MHPA) Training;– Statewide Forensic Peer Support Training;– Forensic Peer Support Training at Department of Corrections;

and– Five County Housing projects.

PCCD and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

In 2011, PCCD awarded in excess of $700,000 to support housing initiatives in the following five counties:

• Fayette County – Housing and Support Services;

• Greene County – Master Leasing project;

• Montgomery County – Master Leasing project;

• Philadelphia – Master Leasing; and

• Union County – Justice Bridge Housing program.

PCCD and the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania

Since 2011, PCCD and OMHSAS have worked in conjunction with the Housing Alliance to co-sponsor the Homes Within Reach Conference to raise awareness among the housing community.

PCCD and the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania

Conference topics included:

• Coming Home – A Veteran’s Perspective

• Times Up – Planning for Successful Re-entry• The Unspoken Reality - Housing and Supervision of

Sex Offenders

• Housing and Justice for All

In addition, successful county housing initiatives were highlighted.

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee(MHJAC)

Honorable John Zottola,Judge of the Court of Common Pleas,

Allegheny County

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC)

• MHJAC, Chaired by Judge Zottola, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, was created in July 2009, to provide guidance and structure and ensure that Pennsylvania's criminal justice/mental health activities are coordinated across the state and that counties receive the guidance and support necessary to implement effective responses.

• MHJAC membership includes representatives from state agencies, county leadership, the courts, district attorneys, public defenders, consumers and families, and other criminal justice and mental health advocates and practitioners from across the Commonwealth.

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC)

MHJAC Housing Subcommittee

• To address the issue of lack of housing for the target population, a Housing Subcommittee was formed under MHJAC to help guide the Committee’s efforts in identifying and promoting best practices.

Senate Bill 128

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC)

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC)

European / American Prison Project

• One major initiative established through MHJAC, was the creation of the Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence (CoE).

• The CoE was established in November 2009, through a competitive grant application process and awarded to Drexel University, to reduce justice involvement for people with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders by working with Pennsylvania’s communities to identify points at which an interception can be made to prevent this group from entering deeper into the justice system.

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC)

Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC)

The CoE is a collaboration between Drexel University’s Department of Psychology and University of Pittsburgh’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

Housing Needs for Criminal Justice/Behavioral Health Populations In Pennsylvania

Patty Griffin, PhDPennsylvania MH & Justice Center of Excellence

National Picture • High rates of people with serious mental illness being admitted to our jails

– Most recent research (Steadman, Osher, et al, 2009):• Estimates 16.9% of all jail admissions have a serious mental illness

– 14.5% of males – 31.0% of females

– Three to six times the prevalence of serious mental illness in the general population

– High rates of co-occurring substance use disorders and other challenges

including trauma, medical problems, and homelessness

– Long lengths of stay in jail and significant criminal recidivism

• Many challenges for behavioral health, criminal justice, social services, and housing systems

– Especially in finding ways to collaborate effectively to address this issue

Cross-Systems Mapping

Workshops

21

Workshop Tasks

1. Nurture cross-system collaboration

2. Map the local system

3. Inventory current resources, gaps, and

opportunities

4. Agree on priorities

5. Build an Action Plan

Day 1: Creating a Local Cross-Systems Map

• Brings together key stakeholders to tap into local expertise – Partnership with local Criminal Justice Advisory Board

• Creates a local map using the Sequential Intercept Model– Visually depicts local system– Identifies:

• Existing local services and processes– Gaps in services – Strengths to build upon --- opportunities and resources – Data

• Issues considered important to local stakeholders

• Helps everyone see the “big picture” and how they fit– Helps diverse groups from various systems understand

where/how everything fits– Intercepts provide manageable venues and opportunities for

systems interventions

Sequential Intercept Model Five Key Points of Interception

1. Law enforcement / Emergency services

2. Booking / Initial court hearings

3. Jails / Courts

4. Re-entry

5. Community corrections / Community support

Munetz & Griffin, 2006

Blair County Cross Systems Map

Blair County - Top 8 Priorities

• Development of a Mental Health Court (20 Votes)

• Housing (18)• Mental Health First Aid (16)• Access to medication and

psychiatric appointments upon re-entry (15)

• Sobering Stations (12)• Level of Care Behavioral

Health Assessments as early as possible in the criminal justice system (10)

• Determine when assessments are needed

• Disperse assessments to the correct individuals

• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Development (9)

• Expediting access to Medical Assistance Benefits (8)

CROSS SYSTEMS MAPPING WORKSHOPS What We’ve Learned About Pennsylvania

Common Gaps in Services • Intercept 1• Law enforcement agencies are interested in mental health training but have limited time for training• Law enforcement officers spend hours waiting with individuals at local hospital• Lack of detoxification and sobering services

• Intercept 2• Lack of pretrial services• Problems with video arraignment equipment

• Intercept 3• Many jail admissions requiring detoxification • Limited treatment staff• Medical Assistance benefits terminated after admission

• Intercept 4• Significant gaps in aftercare medication• Limited continuity of care• Limited re-entry efforts • Few systematic efforts to reinstate or start Medial Assistance and/or Social Security benefits

• Intercept 5

•Not enough housing

Most Common County Priorities Develop and/or expand training at Intercept One

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)

Mental Health First Aid

Formalize detoxification procedure

Reduce strain on hospitals, jails, and law enforcement

Improve continuity of care from local jails to community

Aftercare Meds

Re-activation of benefits

Psychiatric Appointments

Expand housing options

Improve information sharing across systems

Common Gaps in Housing • Some individuals stay longer in jail because they do not have

housing available (“Our County Jail becomes our housing unit for the mentally ill”)

• Very limited accessible housing options for the forensic SMI population

• Housing Authority do not except applications from felonies and long waiting period for applicants with misdemeanors

– Rely heavily on private landlords that are often unwilling to take this population

– Many state inmates max out because they can’t develop a home plan (no housing)

– County MH/MR funding cuts have decreased local behavioral health services, especially in the Forensic Housing Program

Counties Next Steps/Action Plans for Housing• York County: • Develop a clearer picture of the housing needs for currently

incarcerated population (York) – Identify how many currently incarcerated individuals were

homeless prior to arrest– Look at the 10-12 folks currently seeking housing each

month (from the jail) and examine the breakdown of mental health and substance use needs

– Begin to identify housing needs during intake (develop specific code for ‘homeless’)

– Look at how many parole plans are denied because of lack of housing

– Examine specific housing needs of MH Court participants

Counties Next Steps/Action Plans for Housing

9 counties --- Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Warren

• Master Leasing/Bridge Subsidy Program – Designed to house individuals ineligible for other federal housing

(including those ineligible due to previous criminal activity)

– Bridge subsidies to keep individuals housed while working with

case managers to develop plan for permanent housing

– Contact: Penny Campbell (pennycampbell@clarionhousing.com)

Counties’ Next Steps/Action Plans for Housing

• Westmoreland County:

– A Local Housing Options Team (LHOT) meets on a regular basis to coordinate housing services.

– The LHOT brings together stakeholders in the community to identify gaps and barriers to housing for targeted and complex populations and works towards using existing resources in the community and developing new ones to meet the housing needs of the county.

Ways CoE Can help – Technical Assistance

• Specialized searches of resources• Educational sessions for multiple locales

• Hands-on assistance to individual locales– Data collection, data management and

program evaluation

– Data analysis assistance– Consultation regarding reporting

• Fostering peer-to-peer networks, state-wide, and nationally

Ways CoE Can Help – Resource Website

http://www.pacenterofexcellence.pitt.edu

• Links to relevant and important information– Practical tools – Funding announcements– Data collection/management tools

• County-specific information– Links to census and crime data– Program information– Reports from the mapping workshops

• Forum for cross-county communication

Drexel University & University of Pittsburgh

Blair County Report of the Cross-Systems Mapping Workshop

June 8th and 9th , 2011Transforming Services for Persons with Mental Illness in Contact with the Criminal Justice System

Final Report• Cross-systems picture

• Available for wide distribution – Provided in PDF and Word formats

• County-Specific Narrative for each intercept • Gaps and Opportunities

• Action Plan• Resource for local Criminal Justice Advisory

Board’s planning

• Support for future funding applications

• Reference/resource materials included

For more information:

Pennsylvania Mental Health and JusticeCenter of Excellence

www.pacenterofexcellence.pitt.edu

Patty Griffin, PhD, Senior Consultant pgriffin@navpoint.com

Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)

Terry Moloney Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)

OMHSAS provides community alternatives to Pennsylvanians with SMI, including those at risk of homelessness and involvement with the Criminal Justice System.

Housing and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)

• PA continues to make strides in addressing the unnecessary institionalization of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in state psychiatric hospitals.

• The census in PA’s state psychiatric hospitals has declined dramatically from 35,100 in 1966 to about 1,600 in 2012.

• We recognize that many individuals with SMI can live successfully in the community if they have appropriate supports and services.

Housing and OMHSAS

• OMHSAS provides community alternatives to Pennsylvanians with mental illness, including those at risk of homelessness and those involved in the criminal justice system.

• During the past 5 years, OMHSAS has implemented a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Initiative that utilizes local, state, and federal resources to expand affordable, supportive housing and residential programs for adults.

• 53 counties have made reinvestment resources available as part of the OMHSAS Permanent Supportive Housing initiative.

OMHSAS Housing Reinvestment Strategies

• Between 2006-2012—Counties have reinvested approximately $102 million in OMHSAS approved housing strategies – including $33 million in capital funds, and $32 million in Bridge and Master Leasing Subsidies.

• Counties vary significantly in the percentages of those serviced who come from the targeted populations, i.e. people in institutions or community residential programs, homeless youth aging out of child serving systems, and the forensic population.

• Since April 2012, fully or partial reinvestment-funded housing programs have served approximately 3,000 households.

OMHSAS Reinvestment Strategy - Bridge Subsidy

• Bridge—Short term tenant based rental subsidy intended from the start to be a “bridge” to more permanent housing.

• Counties have committed funds for 686 bridge rental subsidies. Of that number 223 have been funded and are being placed in service in 2012.

OMHSAS Reinvestment Strategy - Master Leasing

• Master Leasing—Leasing units from private owners and subleasing—and subsidizing these units to consumers.

• Master leasing is often used for consumers with criminal histories or poor tenancy histories.

• 11 counties have arranged for 331 people to get rental units through master leasing programs.

OMHSAS Reinvestment Strategy - Capital

• The use of Reinvestment funds as capital financing to create targeted permanent supportive housing units.

• Ten county programs and the 23 Behavioral Health county contract option program have committed funds to capital projects.

OMHSASOther Housing Reinvestment Strategies

• Housing Support Services – Temporary funding for support services until permanent funds can be identified.

• Contingency Funds – For one-time and emergency costs such as security deposits for apartments or utilities, or to pay back rent or utility costs.

• Clearinghouse – To manage outreach and referral

to one of the reinvestment housing options.

Questions?

Staff Contact Info

PCCD• Robert Merwine

rmerwine@pa.gov or 717-265-8542• Jackie Weaknecht

jweaknecht@pa.gov or 717-265-8498

OMHSAS• Terry Moloney

tmoloney@pa.gov or 717-772-7625