County supervisors approved a pilot project this past week that puts men who are in jail with mild to moderate mental illness in an intensive treatment regimen of 12-step meetings, outpatient therapy sessions and neighborhood support programs. The hope is that the system will make it easier for participants to better transition back into communities and reduce recidivism.
County staff said they expect the trial-run will likely become a permanent program.
The 12-month pilot was approved unanimously, but only after Supervisor Kristin Gaspar initially said she was hesitant to back the program until she was certain that the county would track and evaluate the participants.
Participants will receive mental health care and addiction treatment services and education and vocational training, and will be connected to service providers that can continue to assist participants after they return to their communities. The program is expected to take 60 to 90 days for participants to complete.
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