ARI JOINS THE CONVERSATION ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Illinois is suffering a behavioral healthcare crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as chronic workforce shortages collide with a sharp increase in demand for services. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates as of September 30, 2021, nearly 8 million Illinois residents live in mental health care professional shortage areas and the current workforce is only sufficient to meet 24% of current need.
Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) is investigating the impact of the behavioral health workforce shortage on participants in its network of specialty courts and specialized probation programs focused on rehabilitation and recidivism reduction. Through a recent ARI site survey (October 2021) and site cross-pollination call (September 2021), ARI programs across Illinois discussed staffing shortages and capacity issues across in-patient and out-patient behavioral health services, substance use disorder programs, and community based mental health programs. Staffing shortages and high provider turnover, coupled with increased demand, are creating longer wait times for behavioral health assessments, service planning, and treatment for ARI clients. This reduction in consistent and equitable treatment may negatively impact the outcomes of program participants as they are unable to access the treatment and services they need, resulting in higher rates of relapse and increased recidivism. ARI program staff released a fact sheet on findings from these conversations in January 2022, available here.
As we continue to address this issue, ARI sites and staff are participating in the Illinois Mental Health Task Force’s series of Regional Councils and Resource Mapping Workshops. These workshops are utilizing the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) to enhance legal system responses to meet the needs of people with mental illness across Illinois and involve the input of court personnel, law enforcement agencies, government agencies, community behavioral health providers, and other interested parties. If you are interested in finding out more about this statewide effort, please visit the Illinois Mental Health Task Force website located here: https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/courts/additional-resources/mental-health-task-force/.
If you would like to share information on the behavioral healthcare workforce shortage and its impact on the criminal legal system with ARI program staff, please email Mary Ann Dyar, ARI Program Director (MaryAnn.Dyar@illinois.gov) or Caitlyn Barnes, ARI Policy and Project Coordinator (Caitlyn.Barnes@illinois.gov).