In July 1995, the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction took over full responsibility for mental health services in Ohio’s prisons.
The cluster mental health team works jointly with medical, recovery services, and sex offender programming. Cluster mental health teams utilize a multidisciplinary approach to developing holistic interventions.
DMH had primary responsibility for psychiatric services and DRC had responsibility for other mental health programs. Consequently, this audit resulted in recommendations for improving mental health care. After thoughtful, joint planning, the Departments of Rehabilitation and Correction and Mental Health charged their respective staff with redefining their relationship. It is clusters are designed to operate like catchment areas in a community mental health model. That said, the interdisciplinary team assigned to the cluster provides a continuum of care ranging from outpatient to residential services. DRC’s approach to developing a service system is now consistent with a community mental health model. Any cluster provides shortterm cr care and a Residential Treatment Unit in addition to outpatient care. To ensure the highest quality of care at the least expense to Ohio taxpayers, the Bureau of Mental Health Services is developing a comprehensive program evaluation and research component.
In the early 1990’s Ohio’s prison mental health services came under intense scrutiny.
The 1993 Easter disturbance at theSouthern Ohio Correctional Facilityresulted in a couple of reports by the Governor’s Select Committee on Corrections, the OCSEA/AFSCME bargaining unit, and others regarding the need for expanded and improved services. A federal lawsuit, Dunn Voinovich, accelerated these efforts to improve services.
Effective July 1, 1995, DRC became responsible for providing prison mental health services and DMH became responsible for oversight by establishing standards of care and surveying service provision. The basic service system design has changed. Any cluster is made up of one to five correctional institutions.
All mental health services staff serve on the treatment team and will also provide consultation to other institutional departments and services. Mental health staff will also make regular rounds in all segregation areas to assure that inmates who need services receive them and to ensure that no inmate is placed in segregation solely because of mental illness.
With a guarantee that their findings should be available to the court, the experts had unimpeded access to each facility and nearly any document.
In response to the recommendations of the team of experts inDunn, the prison system was subdivided into clusters. Members of the team include psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, activity therapists, corrections officers, unit managers, and case managers. Of course in a collaborative effort, DMH and DRC worked with the plaintiffs for a resolution to the lawsuit. Although, central to this approach was engaging a team of experts to conduct a detailed audit and inspection of mental health care in each state prison. Furthermore, quality Assurance program was initiated to assure quality of care. It is the goal is to implement the most effective mental health interventions based upon the evaluation findings. Prior to 1995, Ohio’s prison mental health care system was administered jointly by the DRC and the Department of Mental Health.
Mental Health Services is growing and developing rapidly. Our need is to find qualified and motivated clinicians who are willing to accept the challenge of providing quality care, seek solutions for challenging problems, and create a quality system of mental health care.