2019 Mental Health & Jail Diversion Annual Report

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2019 ANNUAL REPORT Mental Health & Jail Diversion

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“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME - Phil Jackson

CONTACT US: 7014 Broad Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90008

+622 875 4479 inspirasign@gmail.com www.inspirasign.com

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Contents Quality of Life Teams Homeless Outreach Team

12

Graffiti Abatement

19

Nuisance Abatement

21

Crisis Intervention Response Team

24

Telehealth

28

Investigations

44

Jail Diversion Center

48

Sheriffs’ Conference

59

Project Lifesaver

63

Training

67

Harvard University Government Performance Lab Fellow

73

Behavioral Threat Management Unit

76

Re-entry Center

78

Awards

81

Mental Health Data

85

ON THE COVER: Deputy Jose Gomez was one of the CORE telehealth deputies in phases 1 & 2. He coordinated phase 3 with Deputy Megan Herrin. Jose was instrumental to the success of the program. (Photo by Sharon Steinmann, HCSO)


Acknowledgement Printing made possible with the generous support of the Tom and Carolyn Hamilton

Foundation and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Foundation.

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Collaboration “Our innovative mental health and jail diversion programs are models for the state and the nation. They are the result of the strong collaboration that exists between the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the community. These programs are examples of community policing and what can be

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez

accomplished

when

we

work

together.”

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Dedication “I

am

very

proud

of

our

members working on our model mental health and jail diversion programs.

Their

dedication,

passion, and innovation are clearly

reflected

in

this

impressive and comprehensive

Chief Deputy Edison Toquica

annual report.”

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Inspiration “This past year has been one of great progress

and

accomplishment

on

many fronts. The following pages are examples. The Harris County Sheriff’s

Office is poised for continued success due to the dedicated and inspired members of our bureau and the partnerships

we have formed in our

community. I look forward to another year of providing a safe, humane, and professional response to individuals with

mental

illness,

cognitive

disabilities, and to the homeless.”

Major Mike Lee 7


A $300,000 grant from Arnold Ventures to evaluate our CORE telehealth program. We are one of a few law enforcement agencies in the nation with a telehealth program for patrol and

Development of the agency’s first ever Behavioral

Threat Management Unit, a specialized unit for the investigation

and

management

of

domestic

violence and stalking incidents.

the first of its type to be formally evaluated.

Selected to host the second annual Police Sheriffs’

The training of 417 detention personnel and 447

Conference. We were selected because of our

classified personnel in the 40-hour mental health

model mental health and jail diversion programs.

class.

Development of an Implementation Guide for law

Implementation of Project Lifesaver. This is a

enforcement agencies interested in starting a

program that provides law enforcement the ability

telehealth program for patrol. We believe this is

to

the first and only guide of its type in the nation.

disorders who are prone to wandering.

Executive

Research

Forum

(PERF)

Successful completion of the first year of the Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Diversion Center.

This is the only center of its type in the nation. Criminal justice, behavioral health, and political personnel from across the nation have visited.

quickly

locate

individuals

with

cognitive

The expansion, by 50%, of the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). This expansion allows HOT to address homelessness in two additional patrol districts.


Social Media Major Lee started a Twitter account for his bureau early this year. Each of his captains have also started an account. A Mental Health and Jail Diversion account was started in December 2017. That was the first account in the agency other than Sheriff Gonzalez’s personal account and

the official agency account.

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The Team The annual report team consists of Sharon

Steinmann,

Multimedia

Specialist; Carlos Rangel, Digital

Graphics Coordinator; and Frank Webb, Project Manager. Sharon provides

photographs.

Carlos

provides photographic and graphic assistance. Frank provides writing,

Sharon Steinmann

Carlos Rangel

Frank Webb

layout, and design.

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About Us The Harris County Sheriff’s Office implemented a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) in November 2015 with two deputies. Under Sheriff Gonzalez, HOT has tripled to six deputies and one sergeant. Three twodeputy teams address homelessness in three patrol districts. The goal is to increase the team by four deputies so all five patrol districts will have a two-deputy team.

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Group Photo Previous Page (Front row left to right) Deputies Gregory Temple, Jason Dean and Tracey Thomas; (Middle row left to right) Deputies James Kelley and Ashley Schubert, Lieutenant Donald Wine; (Back row left to right) Deputy Timothy Craze and Sergeant John Whitley. .


Opioid Education HOT deputies and HCSO medical staff educating the homeless about opioid overdose. The staff also handed out lifesaving Narcan kits to be used on those overdosing on opioids.

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Code Enforcement The HCSO HOT collaborates with public and

private entities focusing on outreach programs to

locate,

engage,

and

assist

homeless

persons with housing, health care, and nutrition needs. HOT also responds to the concerns of the citizens of Harris County. These citizen concerns soliciting

include in

the

trespassing, roadways,

and

loitering, illegal

encampments by homeless persons.

Many homeless suffer from mental illness and/or substance abuse. All efforts are made to divert these individuals who have committed low-level, non-violent crimes from jail into mental health treatment.

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New Pickup Truck Donation of a fully equipped Ford F250 made possible with the continuing generous support of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Foundation.

New Office HOT moved into a new office in the Hope Center in November 2019.


HOT Performance

Contacts

HOT had 1453 contacts with homeless individuals in 2019

Veterans

Phone

Housed

HOT found housing for 125 individuals

HOT responded to 47 veterans in 2019

Personnel

HOT had phone consultations with 216 homeless individuals

HOT had a 50% increase in personnel in 2019, from three deputies to six

Aid Items

HOT provided 1051 aid items (blankets, coats, food, water, sanitary items, etc.)

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Graffiti Abatement About The Graffiti Abatement Program is a free service for citizens and businesses in the unincorporated areas of Harris County. The

program removes unwanted graffiti which is often perpetrated by gang members who want

Deputy Rick Medina

to mark their territory or send a message to another gang. The program is coordinated by Deputy Rick Medina.

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Graffiti Abatement Before Before

After

After

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Nuisance Abatement About Us The Nuisance Abatement Unit responds to all nuisance complaints and takes appropriate action, including referring to Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services or the Harris

County

District

Attorney’s

Office.

Abandoned vehicles, junked vehicles in private property, and abandoned structures are the most common complaints.

Deputies Kimberly Snyder & Brian Raven

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Nuisance Abatement These pictures are of a mechanic shop in District 2 (Aldine area) that was storing junked vehicles in the county right-of-way. These pictures are typical of common complaints received by the unit.

Before

Before

Before

After

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Nuisance Abatement These pictures are of a another mechanic/body shop in District 2 that was storing junked vehicles in the county right-of-way. All vehicles were stickered and the owner removed them.

Before

Before

Before

After

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Crisis INTERVENTION RESPONSE TEAM 24


About Us • Implemented in September 2011 • Co-responder program • Respond to the most serious calls involving individuals in serious mental health crisis • Perform proactive investigations

and

follow-up

• Assist other local law enforcement agencies

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CIRT TRAINING

Project Name

Project Name

Client name

Client name

CIRT personnel attending a quarterly training with members of the

CIRT personnel addressing patrol roll calls discussing issues regarding

Houston Police Department Mental Health Division.

responding to individuals with mental illness.

GROUP PHOTO PREVIOUS PAGE: (Front row left to right) Sergeant Kelly Hudson, Lieutenant Donald Wine, Sergeant Willie Hodge; (Middle row left to right) Deputies Amber Lewis, Lakiska Cheatham, Robert Hood, Aaron Brown, and Raymundo Mora; (Back row left to right) Deputies Donald Hess, Fred Lerma, Lorenzo Negrete, and Robert Ellis.

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CIRT Activity 2019

Calls for Service

Evaluations

4430

1209 emergency detentions

Jail Diversions

242 27


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Deputy Rigoberto Cortez A person in mental health crisis is talking with a clinician via an iPad in the back seat of Deputy Cortez’s patrol car

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The Pilot The HCSO completed the third and final phase of its

telehealth pilot in December 2019. The program, titled Clinician and Officer Remote Evaluation (CORE), connects a patrol deputy, via an iPad, with a masterslevel clinician from The Harris Center for Mental Health on calls involving individuals in mental health crisis.

During phase three, 20 patrol deputies were equipped with an iPad. The HCSO also started work on a pilot telehealth program for the jail.

Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy dedicated to tackling

some of the most pressing problems in the United States, awarded a $300,000 grant to the University of Houston Downtown to evaluate phase three.

Pictured: A person who recently moved to Houston from Louisiana

was experiencing mental health

problems. Deputy Jose Gomez responded. The person is talking with a clinician via the iPad.

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The Team Deputies Megan Herrin and Jose Gomez coordinated the day-to-day activities of the CORE pilot. The program would not be possible

without

them.

They

provided

training to the deputies regarding the iPads and connecting to clinicians via our video conferencing software, developed the form used to collect data, compiled statistics, responded to deputy inquiries 24/7, liaised with the computer/technical people from The Harris Center, liaised with the supervisors of the clinicians

with The

Harris

Center,

maintained in constant contact with the 20 deputies on the program, and worked with the University of Houston Downtown to

Megan Herrin

Jose Gomez

Frank Webb

evaluate the program. They worked under the supervision of Frank Webb, project manager of the pilot.

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The Volunteers Thank You! To the deputies who made CORE an overwhelming success Anthony Bernabeo

Aaron Herrera

Perry Burkeen

Donald Hess

Christopher Cano

Lisa Hurrington

Mark Champagne

Daniel Jaquez

Vernon Charles

James LaSalle

Mark Clarke

Fred Lerma

Christopher Cooper

Isaac Lewis

Rigoberto Cortez

Noe Mejia

Moses DeArcos

Augustin Mendoza

Antonio Doucet

James Mondy

Nakeitha Dussette

Hiep Nguyen

Jose Gomez

Joseph Ramirez

Shamanda Harris

Fabiola Rodriguez

Ronald Hawn

Jonathan Tirk Shaun Waters

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Telehealth Road Map Evaluation

04

The University of Houston Downtown conducts a midterm evaluation as part of a grant from Arnold Ventures. Final evaluation to be completed May 2020. Implementation Guide developed and distributed across the nation.

Nov 2019

Phase Three Launched 03

20 patrol deputies provided with iPads. The HCSO continues to collaborate with The Harris Center for Mental Health on this final year-long phase.

Dec 2018

Phase Two Launched HCSO collaborates with its local mental health authority, The Harris Center for Mental Health (THC), on an 11-week phase connecting three deputies with masters level clinicians. The program is referred to as telehealth. Although completely satisfied with JSA, the change to THC was due to cost.

02

July 2018

Telepsychiatry is Launched The HCSO collaborated with JSA Telehealth, Cloud 9, Verizon Wireless, and the University of Texas on a three-week pilot program connecting three patrol deputies with psychiatrists via iPads. The idea was that of Dr. Avrim Fishkind, CEO of JSA Telehealth.

Dec 2017

01

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Benefits of Telehealth

Access

Safety

Quick and affordable access to behavioral health professionals

The number one goal of law enforcement is citizen and officer safety

Our Goals

Transports

Jail Diversion

Helps eliminate unnecessary transports to hospital emergency departments

Helps divert individuals with mental illness from jail into treatment

Triage Better assessment and triage of calls

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Telehealth is a force multiplier The cost for 9 full time masters-level clinicians from The Harris Center for the Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) co-responder program is $900,000 annually.

The cost to equip 100 patrol deputies with an iPad with which they can connect to a masters-level clinician from The Harris Center is $905,000 annually. Having a clinician physically on a scene is valuable. However, the average number of CIRT coresponder units on duty at any one time is two. This is not adequate to cover the county, with over 1,700 square miles. We do not have the funds to add additional CIRT clinicians. Telehealth provides quick and affordable access to clinicians via technology and allows CIRT to respond to the most serious mental health calls utilizing the clinician on scenes where they are most needed.

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Localities requesting Implementation Guide or starting a program based on CORE

San Diego, CA

Grand Traverse County, MI

Upstate, NY

El Paso, TX

Toledo, OH

Austin, TX Plano, TX Houston, TX 36


The Evaluation The University of Houston Downtown (UHD) was selected to evaluate our CORE pilot program through the Arnold Ventures grant. A mid-term evaluation was conducted in November 2019. The results are on the following pages. The final evaluation is scheduled to be completed in May 2020.

Pictured is Dr. Lori Brusman-Lovins of the UHD evaluation team. Dr. Lovins is interviewing CIRT Deputy Fred Lerma and observing other deputies utilizing the iPad.

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Study Design UHD researchers used a process evaluation framework to assess key elements of the intervention in terms of (a) how the innovative tele-health program and related technology

are

implemented;

(b)

fidelity

of

the

implementation; (c) acceptability to stakeholders; and (d) effectiveness as measured by proximal outcomes.

The research team used a mixed-methods approach to concurrently collect qualitative and quantitative data evaluating implementation of the intervention and fidelity to the model. Data was collected from multiple levels of stakeholders and sources: patrol deputies, dispatch, and persons in key administrative roles in HCSO and The Harris Center (THC). Focus groups were conducted with select THC Masters-level mental health clinicians who participated in the intervention. Information was also obtained from telehealth patrol deputies who submitted case reports on all calls, including an additional form with questions related to the effectiveness of the use of

telehealth when responding to calls involving individuals in mental health crisis.

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The Team

Ashley Blackburn

Dana Smith

Lori Brusman-Lovins

Heather Goltz

Dr. Ashley Blackburn is a Professor of Criminal Justice and currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work. Her areas of expertise include conducting research among vulnerable populations, victimization, and incarcerated women. Dr. Dana Smith, Assistant Professor of Social Work, serves as Director of Field Education and instructor. She enjoys teaching policy, ethics, field seminar, and community practice courses. Dr. Brusman-Lovins, an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, is an expert in evidence-based correctional programming, program implementation, and how the criminal justice system treats specialized populations, including offenders with mental illness.

Dr. Heather Goltz, Associate Professor of Social Work, is a highly experienced health services and mixed-methods researcher. She is a licensed mental health professional with nearly a decade of experience in treating individuals with a range of mental and behavioral health conditions commonly resulting in arrest or hospitalization.

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Mid-Term Evaluation

Number of records/calls = 126 Time period: December 2018 – Mid May 2019

Call Disposition

Resolved on Scene

60%

Number of deputies on pilot = 20

40%

Emergency Detention

Calls by Day of the Week 25 21

24

17

20 11

8

MON TUES WED THUR FRI

SAT

SUN

40


81%

63%

77%

Percentage of deputies who said they would have called a CIRT unit if they did not have the iPad

Percentage of deputies who would have transported the consumer to the ER or MH facility if not for the iPad

Percentage of deputies who stated the clinician helped them Identify resources

Calls by District Downtown

15

District 5

18

District 4

54

District 3 A goal of the program is to eliminate unnecessary transports of consumers to hospital emergency departments and other mental health facilities

District 2 District 1

12 1 26

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The number one goal of the program is to help keep deputies and consumers safe

73%

83%

71%

Percentage who stated the clinician helped de-escalate the consumer

Percentage who stated the clinician helped them decide on the course of action to take

Percentage who stated the clinician helped them handle the call in a shorter period of time

Calls by Time of Day 34 8

42 31 9

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Jail diversion is a third goal of the program

It is our opinion that the best option for

individuals with mental illness is to divert them from jail if possible. Major County Sheriffs of America. 2019. Sheriffs Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in The Community and in the Jails.

Charges Diverted 6 5 4 2 1 Terroristic Threat

Assault

Criminal Trespass

Aggravated Assault

Indecent Exposure

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44


About • Collaborates with the Senior Justice Assessment Center (SJAC) • Firearms Investigations • Investigations resulting from referrals from Children’s Protective Services (CPS)

Deputy Megan Herrin

• Incident report review

45


Deputy Herrin …

Reviews an average of 500 Mental Health Investigation reports each month

Received 102 referrals from CPS since June 2018

Set up six patrol Twitter accounts

Helps coordinate the CORE telehealth program

2019 Investigations 171

65 35

30

Firearms

SJAC *

CPS **

Follow-Ups

• Senior Justice Assessment Center ** Children’s Protective Services

46


10 seconds

3.6 million

A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds

Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies

Investigations Assigned – ITD*

Source: www.childhelp.org

322

68

71

Firearms

SJAC

102

CPS

Follow-Ups

* ITD is Inception to Date (5/7/18 to 12/3/19)

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48


Model Pre-Charge Jail Diversion

49


ABOUT US

“ Again, I would like to say the staff you have here are amazing. ” - Anonymous Client

The Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Diversion Center (The Jail Diversion Center) opened in September 2018.

This 29-bed facility is an integral part of Harris County’s pre-charge jail diversion program. Offenders committing low-level, non-violent offenses when it is believed mental illness and/or psychosocial issues were a factor in the commission of the crime are diverted from jail to The Jail Diversion Center.

50


Collaborating Partners

• The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD • Harris County Judge’s Office

• Harris County Sheriff’s Office • Harris County District Attorney’s Office • Houston Police Department • Harris Health • Harris County Housing Authority • Harris County Commissioners Court • Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

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Intake Flow

Evaluation Medical Assessment

Mental health evaluation conducted by a psychiatrist.

Assessment and triage by RN.

Peer Support The goal is for this to be the first connection for the patient.

Evaluation Medical evaluation by an internal medicine physician.

Evaluation Evaluation by a masters level clinician.

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On Site Services

Psychosocial Programming

Medication Management

Peer Support

Substance Use Disorder Interventions

Respite Beds

Discharge Planning

53


DATA FY19 Jail Bookings

53%

Percentage with no new jail bookings after first diversion.

Longest Stay

80

The longest stay was 80 days.

After Care

53%

Percentage of individuals receiving mental health services after leaving the Diversion Center.

Jail Bookings

8.5

Average number of bookings for those brought to Diversion Center with prior jail bookings.

Processing Time

11 mins

Average time it took a law enforcement officer to process the person into the Diversion Center.

Savings

9.2M

Projected year one savings.

Days in Jail

275

Average number of days in jail for those brought to Diversion Center with prior jail bookings.

Diversions

1,795

Number of individuals taken to the Diversion Center in FY19.

Transitional Housing

136

Number receiving transitional housing, residential SUD treatment, personal care home, etc.

Days in Jail

220,679

Total number of days in jail for cohort of those brought to the Diversion Center with prior jail bookings.

Length of Stay

53.8 hours

The average length of stay.

One Admission

76.5%

Percentage having only one admission to the Diversion Center.

Source: The Harris Center

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DATA FY19 Gender

For every 6 emails received, we get 3 Phone

Homelessness

calls. Suitable for all categories business and personal presentation.

21%

20%

For every 6 emails received, we get 3 Phone calls. Suitable for all categories business and personal presentation.

79%

15%

65%

For every 6 emails received, we get 3 Phone calls. Suitable for all categories business and personal presentation. Male

Female

Homeless

Housed

Housing Instability

Source: The Harris Center

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DATA FY19 Directed By

Race

For every 6 emails received, we get 3 Phone calls. Suitable for all categories business and personal presentation.

1%

4%

For every 6 emails received, we get 3 Phone

12%

12%

calls. Suitable for all categories business and personal presentation.

59%

86%

23%

For every 6 emails received, we get 3 Phone calls. Suitable for all categories business and

2%

personal presentation.

Police

DA Intake

Self

Asian American Caucasan African American

Hispanic Unknown

Source: The Harris Center

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TOTAL MISDEMEANOR TRESPASS CHARGES FILED 600 511

499

472

500

445

500

489 446

411

400

300

291 285 213

207

200

187

171 143

160

154

172

190

177

100

0

* Diversion Center Opens September 2018

Source: Harris County Sheriff’s Office

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New Beginnings At the age of 10, Stephen’s mother took him to the local mental health authority because of problems with anger. Much of his anger was the result of an abusive stepfather who hit his mother, sister, and Stephen. Stephen was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. At 11, Stephen started to steal his stepfather’s marijuana to escape the pain. At 13, he started stealing his grandfather’s pain medication. At 14, he was arrested for a home invasion and spent four years in a juvenile detention facility. At 18, upon release from the detention facility, he got high on Xanax and almost killed his stepfather in a fist fight. At 21, he met his wife. They had two children. Stephen was working offshore but lost his job and started taking pills. He was caught with a pistol in his car and put on probation. At 23, He was incarcerated for aggravated robbery and spent six years in a Texas prison. While in prison his wife divorced him and his grandmother died of cancer. At 29, Stephen was paroled. He hooked up with an old friend who got him addicted to Kush, and he started stealing to support his habit. For most of the next six years Stephen was homeless and smoking Kush. At 34, he was arrested for trespassing. Stephen was taken to the Diversion Center instead of jail. He credits staff there with planting the seed for treatment and voluntarily enrolled in a recovery program at Open Door Mission. Today, Stephen is working as a Peer Counselor at the Houston Center for Sobriety.

Stephen Douglass


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Sheriffs’ Conference

About The Police Executive

Research Forum

(PERF) asked the HCSO to host its second annual sheriffs’ conference because of Harris County’s model mental health and jail

diversion programs. Founded in 1976 as a nonprofit organization, PERF is a police research and policy organization and a provider of management services, technical assistance, and executive-level education to

support law enforcement agencies. PERF helps to improve the delivery of police services through the exercise of strong national leadership; public debate of police and criminal justice issues; and research

and policy development. The conference was held on May 10, 2019.

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Presenters

Ed Gonzalez

Frank Webb

Daron Hall

Sheriff

Project Manager

Sheriff

Sheriff Gonzalez is the Sheriff of the Harris County (TX) Sheriff’s Office.

Frank is a Project Manager for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Hall is the Sheriff of the Davidson County (TN) Sheriff’s Office. He is also the President of the National Sheriff’s Association.

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Presenters

Chuck Wexler

Kim Ogg

Mike Lee

CEO

District Attorney

Major

Chuck Wexler is CEO of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)

Kim Ogg is the District Attorney of Harris County, Texas.

Mike Lee is the Major over the Patrol Bureau of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

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63


Sergeant Brian Brawner

Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small transmitter on the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized frequency signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project

Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. The first responders will then use the client’s individualized frequency to locate the position of the individual.

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About The average time to locate a person wandering Project Lifesaver is a 501 (C)(3) community based, public

with Project Lifesaver is 30 minutes. This is 95%

safety, non-profit organization that provides law enforcement,

less time than standard operations without Project

fire/rescue, and caregivers with a program designed to protect,

Lifesaver.

and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive

disorders who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering.

The

organization

was

founded

in

1999

in

Chesapeake, Virginia. The necessity of this program was determined through the correlation between cognitive conditions and the act of wandering.

With the dramatic increase of

cognitive conditions since the inception of the organization, the

The average number of people with cognitive

impairments reported missing in Harris County a day is four.

program has grown from a localized program to a program recognized internationally as a proven and effective method of “bringing loved ones home.”

In May 2019, Sergeant Brian Brawner, Patrol Bureau Special

The number of U. S. adults who suffer from

Projects, was assigned to research Project Lifesaver. A letter of

Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of dementia is

intent was submitted to Project Lifesaver International (PLI) in

5 million.

June. The HCSO was accepted as a member in July. Sergeant Brawner was named Project Lifesaver Project Manager. Seven patrol deputies were trained by Project Lifesaver instructors in

August. Deployment is scheduled for February 2020.

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01 May 2019 Sergeant Brian Brawner is assigned to research Project Lifesaver.

03

August 2019 October 2019

Seven patrol deputies were trained by Project Lifesaver instructors. The HCSO received a Start-Up kit and became the first agency in the nation to receive Project Lifesaver’s new system.

The HCSO applied for a $150,000 federal grant for the purchase of additional Equipment and to train additional personnel.

05

Finish 06

February 2020 When the program is projected to be deployed in the Field.

04

02

July 2019 The HCSO submitted a letter of intent to be a member of Project Lifesaver. The letter was accepted later that month.

September 2019 Sergeant Brawner wrote the policies and procedures for the program.

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67


Computer SIMULATION TRAINING 68


The Team Sheriff Gonzalez initiated the largest mental health training initiative in the agency’s history. Starting in June 2017, all detention personnel and peace officers receive a 40-hour mental health class in the academy. The supervisor of the Mental Health Training Unit is Sergeant Raymond Lomelo. In addition to training, Sergeant Lomelo supervises the deputies assigned to the Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Diversion Center and oversees the Mental Health Diversion Desk at the Joint Processing Center. Deputy Jose Gomez is the senior trainer. Jose has 12 Years on the agency. Deputy Gomez has done a stellar job bringing community presenters into our mental health training, including The Menninger Clinic, Alzheimer’s Association, Elite ABA Therapy, Peace of Mind, National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Harris Center for Mental Health, and the Veterans Administration Hospital. In addition to training, Jose coordinates the daily activities of our CORE telehealth pilot with Deputy Megan Herrin. Deputy Carson McMath is the newest team member. He was selected to join the training team in October 2019. Carson has 6 years on the agency. Carson replaces Detention Officer Eric Uriegas. Eric was assigned to the training team from its inception and was an excellent instructor. Eric left to enroll in the HCSO academy to become a classified deputy.

Raymond Lomelo

Jose Gomez

Carson McMath

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MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING

70


40-Hour Mental Health Training Sheriff Gonzalez’s Historic Mental Health Training Initiative Agency Personnel Receiving the 40-Hour Mental Health Class 2000

1887

1800 1600 1400 1139

1200 1000

875 748

800

647

600 400 200

443

365 275

454 421

204

90

Sheriff Gonzalez initiated the largest mental health training initiative in the agency’s history. Starting in June 2017, all detention personnel and peace officers receive a 40-hour state Mental Health Officer class in the academy. A very impressive 1,884 personnel have received this training! When the training started in June 2017, the state mandate for mental health training in the academy was four hours for detention personnel and 16 hours for peace officers. Effective January 1, 2018, the state mandate for mental health training in the academy for detention officers increased to eight hours. Effective April 1, 2018, the state mandate for peace officers was increased to 40 hours.

0

2017

2018

Peace Officers

2019

Detention Officers

Grand Total

Total

Responding to individuals with mental illness in the jail and on the streets is one of the most important criminal justice issues today. Under Sheriff Gonzalez’s leadership, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has become a model for mental health training.

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Did you know … Refresher Training Community Presenters Number of community presenters, including The Menninger Clinic, Veterans Administration Hospital, The Harris Center, and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Instructors The number of mental health instructors for the agency.

2

Number of hours of new annual refresher class that is mandatory for all deputies who have taken the 40-hour class. This refresher class was developed and piloted in December 2019.

Classes Taught

Classroom Hours

The average number of 40hour classes taught per month.

Number of classroom hours for the 40-hour class in 2019.

3

7

34,880

8 72


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About The Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab (GPL) Technical

Assistance Program

is

designed to

overcome common government barriers to the successful implementation of programs. Full-time GPL employees are embedded with governors’, mayors’, or agency heads’ executive teams for 12-36 months to drive key initiatives forward.

Typical

technical

assistance

includes

project

management, data analysis, financial modeling, procurement, provider management support, and capacity building. The areas of work include criminal justice, child welfare, homelessness

and

behavioral

health,

workforce

development, and procurement systems. Gabriela Solis (pictured) is a GPL Fellow assigned to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Gabriela is working with Major Mike Lee and Project Manager Frank Webb to promote and strengthen pre-charge jail diversion.

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“Our nation needs to make more

rapid progress addressing difficult social problems. Given our level of affluence and technological sophistication, there is no excuse for our inadequate responses to homelessness, the opioid crisis, child poverty, youth joblessness,

criminal recidivism, and many other issues.” - GPL The GPL currently has 40 team members working on 91 projects in 67 jurisdictions (31 states).

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The Team The Harris County Sheriff’s Office started a Behavioral Threat Management Unit (BTMU) in April 2019. The unit, managed by Mr. Brad Rudolph, focuses on domestic violence and stalking cases that have a mental health nexus and/or cases that have an identified risk for escalation and violence. The BTMU is predicated on reacting to situations as they occur in order to prevent greater harm from occurring in the future.

Mr. Rudolph retired after 36 years of honorable service with the Houston Police Department (HPD). During his tenure with HPD, Brad created the department’s first Threat Management Unit. Brad also supervised the Criminal Intelligence Division’s Dignitary Protection Unit, where he served as the primary liaison with the U.S. Secret Service. Deputy Jacob Walker is the unit investigator. He is a four year veteran of the HCSO and a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Brad Rudolph

Jacob Walker

Anthony Bush

Anthony Bush is the unit’s analyst. Anthony works as an Intelligence Analyst with the Air National Guard. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

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About Re-entry Center The Re-entry Center opened in the Joint Processing Center in 2019. This is the last stop for inmates being released from the Harris County Jail. Several community agencies have offices in the Re-entry Center, including the following: The Beacon, Mental Health America of Greater Houston, City of Houston, SERJobs, and The Harris Center. The Re-entry Center provides assistance with employment, mental health treatment, housing, voter registration, veteran services, health care, legal assistance, identification, and clothing.

Clothing

Identification

Employment

Mental Health

720 articles of

Identification was

Referrals for

Referrals for

clothing were

provided to 2,260

employment

mental health

given out.

individuals.

assistance were

services were

provided to 972

provided to 459

individuals.

individuals.

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RE-ENTRY CENTER

Two individuals just released from jail via the Joint Processing Center stop by the Re-entry Center for assistance.

Offices of the community partners working with staff of the Reentry Center.

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Awards

Deputy Megan Herrin

Deputy Jose Gomez

Deputy Aaron Brown

NAMI CIT Deputy of the Quarter Award

NAMI CIT Deputy of the Quarter Award

NAMI CIT Deputy of the Quarter Award

Deputy Robert Ellis HCSO Lifesaving Award

Frank Webb NAMI Lifetime Achievement Award

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Awards

Crisis Intervention Response Team Unit Citation

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Awards

Homeless Outreach Team Unit Citation

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Data Road Map

Feb 2019 The customized CIT Data Collection Form is available countywide in the incident reporting system.

Aug 2019 Harris County Technology Committee approves two check boxes on call slip to identify all calls involving mental illness and the homeless countywide; sent to Superion for contract. To be implemented May 2020.

Jan 2017 Major Lee identified the need to collect data on individuals with mental illness and the homeless countywide.

Report to extract data from CIT form in incident reporting system developed

Oct 2017 Meetings were held to discuss the importance of collecting data throughout 2017. A meeting was held in October to discuss a CIT Data Collection Form in the new Superion reporting system.

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Data Analysis

Incidents by HCSO District

Other About This Data Responding to individuals in mental health crisis

District 5

and to the homeless are among the most important criminal justice issues today. Data is essential in

District 4

making

decisions

on

appropriate

and

safe

response strategies. Data on individuals with

District 3

mental illness and the homeless are available for the first time for the sheriff’s and constables’ offices. The following data is gleaned from incident

District 2

reports collected between August 21, 2018 and December 31, 2019. The number of reports =

District 1

5102. Not all calls result in an incident report.

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Incidents by Agency

HCC8

29

46

HCC7

Law Enforcement in Harris County

HCC6

16

There are nine law enforcement agencies under Harris County government: The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and

eight constable offices. These are the agencies reflected in

HCC5

this data. There are several other law enforcement agencies in Harris County but they are not under the jurisdiction of

HCC4

Harris County government and thus are not included in this data.

HCC3

HCC2

27

10

HCC1 HCSO

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Suicide Attempt Method

Suicides in Harris County There were 161 completed suicides investigated by the

Other

Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 2018. That number increased to 181 in 2019.

Jumper

Suicides Nationally 45,390 American adults died from suicide in 2017. Among U.S. adults, the average number of suicides per day rose

Hanging

from 86.6 in 2005 to 124.4 in 2017.

Suicides Among U.S. Veterans

Firearm

The number of Veteran suicides exceeded 6,000 each year from 2008 to 2017. There were 15.9 Veteran suicides per day in 2005 and 16.8 in 2017. Firearms were the

Overdose

method of suicide in 70.7% of male Veteran suicide deaths and 43.2% of female Veteran suicide deaths in 2017.

Edged Weapon - 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

89


Data Analysis

CIT Deputies

62%

Percentage of calls with a CIT trained deputy on the scene.

Gender

56%

13%

86%

Injury to Consumer

Homelessness Percentage of the incidents involving a homeless person.

Percentage of the incidents involving a male.

Adults

91%

Percentage of the calls where there was NO injury to the consumer.

Percentage of the calls involving an adult.

Injury to Deputy

99%

Percentage of the calls where there was NO injury to the deputy.

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Data Analysis

Med Compliance

17%

Percentage of individuals compliant on their medications.

Prescription Meds

48%

16%

25%

Weapons

Violence Percentage of individuals who were violent.

Percentage of individuals taking prescription meds.

Non-Prescription Meds

9%

Percentage of the calls where an individual had a weapon.

Percentage of individuals taking non-prescription meds.

Attempted Suicide

39%

Percentage of the calls where an individual attempted suicide.

91


Data Analysis

Jail Diversion

Veterans

8%

Percentage of incidents involving a veteran.

17%

Percentage of incidents where a person was diverted from jail and taken for mental health treatment.

Use of Force

97%

Percentage of incidents where NO force was used.

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Collaboration

Personnel assigned to the collaborative law enforcement mental health programs of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Houston Police Department (HPD), and The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (The Harris Center). The HCSO started collaborating with The Harris Center (formerly the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County) in 1978 on programs for treating inmates with mental illness. The HPD started collaborating with The

Harris Center in 1991 on training for police officers, the streamlining of the process of obtaining an emergency detention, and increasing bed capacity for those brought in on emergency detention by law enforcement. The HCSO, HPD, and The Harris Center collaborated on the Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) program in 2011. Members of the three agencies who work on the CIRT and Homeless Outreach Teams attend quarterly training together, consult with each other, and occasionally respond to incidents together. (Photo courtesy of Senior Police Officer Matt Fowler, Houston Police Department)

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CHALLENGE COIN

ABOUT THE COIN: It was designed by Carlos Rangel, Digital Graphics Coordinator for the HCSO. The hexagonal shape represents harmony and balance found in nature. The circular layout of the text communicates balance and stability. The light blue represents tranquility. The orange is a complimentary color of light blue and shows warmth, vitality and energy.

@HCSO_MHU

HARRISCOUNTYCIT.ORG

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