Revolving-door recidivism...we break the cycle.
Approximately 40 percent of offenders in Colorado jails are mentally ill. It is now recognized that many such individuals could be better served with more appropriate diversion and mental health treatment services.
The mission of our Criminal Justice Services team is to increase access to appropriate mental health and substance abuse services for offenders. We work with the criminal justice system to help reduce recidivism and reverse the trend of incarcerating the mentally ill. By breaking the cycle of mental illness, substance abuse and incarceration, we help to reduce jail days, keep the community safer, and save taxpayer dollars.
Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network programs include:
Our case management team provides crisis intervention and services throughout the criminal justice continuum —after a police encounter, in our mental health court, in the jails and Department of Corrections and through community-to-jail reentry services. The Criminal Justice Services team provides a model, multi-system program with integrated interventions for offenders with mental illness. Learn more about our case management services.
Crisis Intervention Services
Offenders who are recognized as mentally ill may be referred to us by a C.I.T. officer (a specially trained police officer who can recognize and diffuse problems that stem from emotional and mental issues). Once the referral is received by our office, we contact the individual. Our specialized case management team offers confidential assistance to connect them with needed mental health, substance abuse, legal, funding and other benefits. Learn more about Crisis Intervention Services.
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Integrated case management intervention — working collaboratively with mental health, substance abuse, criminal justice and other community services — is an "evidence-based practice." This means we have proof that it works. People get better; we spend less by not incarcerating inappropriately placed individuals, and we keep our community safer.
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Jail-to-community Re-Entry services saves lives and money.
Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network provides transitional services for incarcerated adolescent and adult consumers with mental illness who are returning to the community from psychiatric hospitals; county and city jails; Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC); community corrections (on probation or parole); and holds (including 27/10 step-down), not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity (NGRI) and incompetent-to-proceed. Learn more about re-entry services.
We provide treatment and case management services for the mental health court.
Our multi-disciplinary team works with other court personnel to provide case management, medication, individual counseling, group therapy, substance abuse treatment, and support to individuals who have been accepted to participate in the 18th Judicial Mental Health court. Typically a two-year program, it is designed to provide appropriate treatment and address "criminal-thinking" issues.
A new 18th Judicial District's Mental Health Court, the first of its kind in Colorado, provides a community-based alternative to incarceration for individuals with a major mental illness who are charged with offenses in the 18th Judicial District. While some mental health courts work with offenders charged with misdemeanors and municipal offenses, this is the first court in the state to also work with non-violent felony offenders.
Juvenile Justice Services
Our newest initiative is to provide more services to youth in the criminal justice system. Learn more about the juvenile justice services.
Since the early 1980s, Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network has been a leader in providing "dual-diagnosis" treatment for both mental illness and substance abuse. Our success is measured by our ability to keep each individual in the community as a productive, law-abiding family and community member. We work in partnership with law enforcement, the district attorney's office, probation officers, pre-trial services and diversion programs, the jails and the public defenders' offices, as well as county commissioners and funders, to achieve this goal.
Contact us.
To learn more, contact our Criminal Justice team at 303 797 9420.