You put what in a probation department?

About the Program

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

Year: 2020

In 2018, Yuma County Adult Probation, in partnership with several local and state medical and behavioral health organizations successfully integrated a community health clinic within the walls of the probation department to better serve the justice involved population and their families. By co-locating probation services with medical, psychological and behavioral health services, barriers were removed, collaborative teams were developed, and improved service delivery and engagement were realized. The North End Community Connections (NECC) clinic located in downtown Yuma, Arizona, serves community members on probation, (both state and federal), and those on supervised release from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Additionally, it serves their families and all other community members billing both Medicaid and private insurance as well as providing a sliding fee scale. The criminal justice population tends to be a group that finds themselves in crisis before reaching out for assistance, often utilizing the local hospital to treat non-emergent medical needs as well as mental health support. Through our efforts, this population is being taught how to better care for their needs in a preventative manner as well as how to navigate an often complex and confusing healthcare system. Our preliminary data has shown significant improvements in probationer appearance rates for services, a reduction in probationer re-incarceration bookings and jail days served, a reduction in crisis events, and an increase in preventative care services. Although several similarly important partnerships have been developed across other probation departments in Arizona, Yuma County was the only location fortunate enough to have the capacity to co-locate services within the same building. A true model for the future of community corrections and the reduction of Arizona's high rates of incarceration.