Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-21-2016-13-6 - Information Item - Memo Regarding Health in All Policies Pilot Project with Criminal Justice Resource Office and Jail Alternatives Work INFORMATION ITEM 1 rcmi°�ani �,'di„ililluDA i,lkJ'1A„r?�iild�Ur'AIdOJI�ae ,,, ,,.„Ill NI uuumuump A P i IN m �uu w op 11,11,11 11111111. 1 11111 I„„„, 1000 1 II 111y u P „„1 . hill �.1111 VI COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE 200 South Cameron Street Bonnie B. Hammersley,County Manager Phone(919)245-2300 Post Office Box 8181 Fax(919)644-3004 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 MEMORANDUM To: Orange County Board of Commissioners From: Caitlin Fenhagen, Criminal Justice Resource Manager Date: 1/13/16 RE: Health in All Policies Pilot Project with Criminal Justice Resource Office and Jail Alternatives Work At a recent joint meeting between the Board of County Commissioners and the Board of Health, information was shared about the American Public Health Association's "Introduction to Health in All Policies: A Guide for State and Local Governments.” The Health in All Policies concept incorporates a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by embedding health considerations into decision-making in all sectors and policy areas of government. As the responsibility for many of the social determinants of health, including housing, education, employment and the criminal justice system, fall to non-traditional health partners, the HiAP concept recognizes the need for public health agencies to work with stakeholders in these other sectors to improve health outcomes. The goal of this framework is to ensure that decision-makers in all areas of local government are informed about the health, equity and sustainability consequences of various policy options as they are being considered. At the request of the Board of Health and with the support of the BOCC for the HiAP framework, Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger met with the County Manager to discuss a pilot for operationalizing this collaborative decision-making process. It was determined that the pilot HiAP collaboration should be with the newly-created Criminal Justice Resource Office and the jail alternatives work that is underway in Orange County. On December 18, 2015, I went to the Health Department and met for the first time with Dr. Bridger, Meredith Stewart, the Public Health Program Manager and Donna King, the Director of Health Promotion and Education Services. We discussed the critical link between healthy communities and reduced incarceration rates and effective jail alternatives and brainstormed about how the collaboration between us should proceed. This initial meeting was followed by a more in-depth session this week between Ms. Stewart, Adebukola Oni, a research consultant working with the Health Department and myself. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer www.orangecountvnc.gov 2 As we move forward with this pilot, it is our recommendation that Dr. Bridger should be added as a member of the BOCC Jail Alternatives Working Group. This group is expected to reconvene next month. I have discussed the HiAP pilot with Sheriff Blackwood and members of the court stakeholders Jail/Mental Health group and they expressed support for this framework. Dr. Bridger, Ms. Stewart and I have scheduled a meeting with Sheriff Charles Blackwood to discuss the collaboration in more detail and to learn more about jail practices,policies and considerations which could benefit from an evaluation of health impacts. I am in the process of arranging a tour of the jail for Ms. Oni and Ms. Stewart. In addition, as the pilot gets underway, Ms. Oni will be conducting informational interviews with key stakeholders to try and assess the primary physical and mental health needs of current and former jail clients. I will be working with Ms. Oni to help identify key informants to assist her with this research. The Criminal Justice Resource office has assumed oversight of pretrial release services and drug treatment court coordination. Ted Dorsi, a 14-year veteran of pretrial release case management work, started on January 4th in our office as the Pretrial Release Service Case Manager. Courtney Kennedy Pair, who has administered the Orange County drug treatment courts since 2003, started the same day in the position of Drug Treatment Coordinator. With funding support from Cardinal Innovations, a temporary therapeutic position has been created in the office for a Criminal Case Assessment Specialist to conduct mental health and substance abuse assessments and treatment coordination for individuals in the jail and those participating in jail alternative programming. Allison Zirkel, a licensed clinical social worker and addictions specialist, has filled the temporary position. I am currently in the process of evaluating the work of these positions to ensure that we are incorporating best practice models and providing effective jail alternatives work. Our office's collaboration with the Health Department comes at an opportune time as we consider new policies and procedures for the delivery of these jail alternative services. In the second meeting, we specifically discussed addressing drug treatment court administration and policies in advance of a late January steering committee date, but our office looks forward to incorporating the HiAP framework to inform all our work as we seek to standardize our policies and procedures as an office committed to reducing our jail population and effectively assisting those individuals in jail or in jail alternative programs.