Corrections To A Safer Community Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The Corrections To A Safer Community (CTASC) program is designed to reduce recidivism by assisting individuals being released from San Bernardino County jails with a serious mental illness and/or a substance use disorder to obtain supportive services to assist them in reintegrating successfully back into the community. To accomplish this goal, the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department established a partnership in August 2016 to coordinate community reentry services for this high-risk population. Working with county partners, justice professionals, and community-based organizations, the goal of the program is to reduce the likelihood of future criminal behavior and repeat future incarcerations. CTASC services begins the intensive care coordination process while the individual is still in custody. A needs assessment is completed to identify their most crucial needs including food, shelter, clothing; anything that will promote successful integration back into the community upon release. Once released, the CTASC team works to provide a warm hand off to community providers by transporting the individual to supportive services and providing ongoing case management. Since its inception, CTASC has linked 217 previously incarcerated individuals with a mental illness and/or substance use disorder to behavioral health treatment services, supportive housing, intensive case management, recovery support and other needed community-based services.