Pathways to Women's Healthy Living (Pathways)

About the Program

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

Year: 2017

ABSTRACT On October 20, 2015, in an effort to meet the challenge of the Stepping Up Initiative, Franklin County Board of Commissioners (Commissioners) and the Franklin County Sheriff (Sheriff), developed a partnership to deliver a continuum of care project. They charged the Franklin County Office of Homeland Security & Justice Programs, Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH), Columbus Division of Police (CPD) and Fire; Franklin University, Mighty Crow Media (process management and outcome evaluation consultant), Southeast Inc., (mental health and recovery services), Nothing Into Something Real Estate Inc., (NISRE -transitional housing) to form a team. Whereby, CPD-CIT officers work directly with community mental health and social service providers, Fire, and Sheriff-CIT Correctional Deputies (Team) to develop a continuum of care plan incorporating pre-and post-release planning to find appropriate linkages to services for women suffering from mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorders. The Goal of the project, reduce recidivism rates of women with non-violent offenses that suffer from mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorders incarcerated in the Franklin County jail. Purpose: Pathways to Women’s Health Living Program (Pathways) provides appropriate assessment, reentry planning, and supportive services to reduce the likelihood of female offenders returning to the Franklin County jail. The Team works directly with the women pre-release to identify and assess social and mental health needs in order to prepare reentry plans, introduce pro-social activities, and address criminogenic thinking errors. Once released, select members of the team continue the relationship post-release to address those needs essential to ensure successful community reintegration. Outcomes: Identify females with mental illnesses in the jail; develop an individualized continuum of care plan for transition into the community; reduce recidivism rates of females with mental illnesses in jail; and reduce the number of females with mental illness from entering the jail.