(Austin-Texas) Three leading advocacy organizations representing the needs of youth with mental illness released a report today calling on Texas state lawmakers to “think outside the cell” and increase community-based supports and services to improve rehabilitation of young offenders with mental health care needs.I certainly agree with the overall sentiment, but it's an open question whether there are sufficient service providers available throughout the state, particularly with looming budget cuts to community based mental health services.
LINK TO REPORT
Advocates and policy specialists from Disability Rights Texas, the National Center for Youth Law and Texas Appleseed examined the experiences of youth with mental illness committed to the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). Their resulting report, “Thinking Outside the Cell: Alternatives to Incarceration for Youth with Mental Illness,” features case studies of youth placed in TYC facilities. The report reveals the devastating impact of incarceration on youth with mental illness, provides models of successful diversionary strategies, and includes policy recommendations.
According to the authors, Texas already has started to shift its focus and funding in the right direction. In 2009, state lawmakers reduced funding of the TYC by $100 million and provided an additional $45.7 million to juvenile probation departments for programs intended to divert youth from TYC lock-ups. This legislative session, state lawmakers overwhelmingly approved legislation (SB 653 Whitmire), consolidating the TYC and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission and prioritizing community-based rehabilitation of young offenders.
“Children with mental health issues come into contact with the justice system at disproportionately higher rates than other youth,” explained Deborah Fowler, deputy director of Texas Appleseed and a contributing author of the study. “When placed in secure detention, children with mental illness often suffer severe trauma, and their emotional issues escalate.”
Fowler cited a case from the report involving a 14-year-old boy with diagnosed mental health issues who has been assigned a new caseworker at least five times since his commitment to TYC in October 2008. For a period of time, he even went without any caseworker at all. Rather than progressing, evidence suggests he has regressed to the point of repeatedly cutting himself.
“When provided with community-based alternatives to incarceration, this population of children shows significant improvements in mental health, overall behavior, even academic performance,” Fowler said. “Access to effective mental health services is central to addressing the underlying sources of these youths’ offenses.”
Patricia Soung, a co-author of the report, concurred. “Diversion really is primary to helping these children and reducing recidivism,” said Soung, staff attorney at the National Center for Youth Law. “Keeping them in institutions is often more harmful than helpful.”
According to the report, the 141 Texas counties electing to receive diversion funds throughout their juvenile probation departments experienced a 32 percent reduction in youth commitments from 2009 to 2010. And among the almost 4,000 youth served by these programs during 2010, only 58 youth were subsequently committed to TYC.
“Time and time again, we’ve seen that when these youth and their families are provided with the community-based supports and services they need at home, or close to home, recidivism drops dramatically and the children’s mental health issues improve,” said Natalie N. Nelson, mental health policy fellow and attorney for Disability Rights Texas and co-author of the report.
“The single most important policy decision that Texas can make to prevent contact or further involvement of youth with mental health issues with the juvenile justice system is to invest in community mental health services,” Nelson concluded.
Monday, May 16, 2011
'Juvenile justice advocates call for diversion of youth with mental illness to community-based settings'
I received press release today via email from juvenile justice advocates with the same headline as this blog post urging the Legislature to fund diversion programming and intensive supervision for mentally ill youth. Here's the text:
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25 comments:
There is a serious need for mental health services at a level prior to the juveniles even being referred to the system. In my county a overwhelming majority of the juveniles that reach the juvenile probation level have a a diagnosed mental illness. Many could be diverted altogether without a delinquent referral if there were adequate state funded mental health programs. Our detention center has become the default mental health ward of the county because there are no services. TJPC has in the past attempted to get a mental health program going in Lufkin but funding was cut.
Until Texas decides to adequately fund mental health services, the state will continue to pay the costs of incarcerating mentally ill juveniles and adults.
If you are committing a juvenile to TYC that is mentally ill, they are screwed, and the kid will return to your County worse than ever. A perfect example is the Tyler teacher getting stabbed to death! TYC hasn't had a quality mental health treatment program since the late 90s.
The death of the Tyler teacher is on the people who worked with that kid at tyc. The tyc is responsible for the death of that teacher. No doubt there is plenty of legal wrangling that absolves tyc and the emps involved from that responsibility. But at the end of the day those people knew the risk and they dumped that kid back on society and people lost a loved one. It’s a sad situation all around and our legislator’s just gloss over it like it was nothing. It’s sad for the family of the teacher, sad for the kid and sad for the people in our juvenile correction agencies who are responsible and had to let the risk play out.
5:15pm, it is good to know that MHMR can still take that posture of "we ain't gonna work em until you give us more $$." MHMR needs a serious overhaul! Anyone working in Juvenile Probation can tell you time and again how MHMR has many a crafty way to "disqualify" an offender for services. MHMR has repeatedly received funding increases from the State over the last decade with little to no accountability. Until MHMR is forced to abandon its "all or nothing rating" of eligibility for MHMR services, the population that seems to always fall in the grey area of eligibility for services will continue to be turned away and funneled into the corrections system. One thing for certain, MHMR has not carried its share of the blame for high numbers of people in the corrections system that should be receiving services from MHMR system.
There are not sufficient community mental health services available, anywhere. These advocacy groups, at times, just plain old gripe my ass. When I retire, I hope to make a living writing these advocacy papers telling everyone the way things should be. Get real,people, and deal with the reality of the facts on the ground.
Plato
Sheldon, I must admit, and have to say that I agree with you!
Where is the money for these community based programs coming from? Another shining example of the Legislature's "unfunded mandate" strategy? Has everyone forgotten that we're in the midst of a budget crisis? Sounds alot like "Same shit, different day (or agency). And in the end, it's the kids and the people of Texas who suffer.
Blame TYC for keeping kids, blame TYC when they releas kids with comprehensive treatment plans that get ignored in the community. Who are you going to blame when there is no more TYC? Sheldon may just be completely lost with the new TJJD.
The more diversion and prevention the better. Someone just has to have the sense to realize that it is actually fiscally conservative policy as it saves money in the long run.
I've worked for TYC for nearly 20 years. In that time, the number of youth committed with serious mental illness continues to increase. Counties send them to us because there is no place else, not because they don't want to help the kids thru their issues. TYC provides MH services - but the fact is that these kids need a secure mental health treatment facility, not just rehabilitation. Community based programs would be a good start and would hopefully head off the need for secure facilities, but many are not controlled enough to leave in, or send back to, the community. I read the entire report - and I say to these groups "Give us a secure program that provides for both the public safety and the MH needs of these youth and I'll do everything I can to send them to you." How many in probation would say the same!?
When Sheldon has no more TYC to blame, maybe he, like thousands of others should look where the real blame belongs..... and that would be right where they came from - their own home. Blog to your mom and dad Sheldon, blog to your community, because thats where there is going and quit frankly - that's where it really started.....
Actually I should blog to myself because I’m the only one to blame for having to go to tyc. I applaud the kids who go and come out and make something of themselves in spite of the barriers against them. When I heard that tyc had become a culture of pedophiles who go above and beyond what the hillbillies did to us with their physical and verbal abuse I had to volunteer and see for myself. It’s shameful what the culture of tyc has become in the last 3 decades. It’s one thing to rise above being told you’re worthless and you will never amount to anything. But today, what these kids go through at the hands of you tyc child molesters and selfish buffoons who rob the tax payers providing little or no ROI to the state is just wrong.
These kids are sent to you people for help and all you do is molest them. At least in my day we knew we were going to tyc to be punished. Now you people hid your peep squeak little ass anonymously and rape the state like you are entitled. Today’s tyc employees appear to be nothing more than people recruited from deeply engrained entitlement cultures that go back generations in their gene pool whom the state has allowed to run completely and utterly out of control. And the irony is you people foolishly think you are in the right. How small can some of you peoples thinking really be? I just don’t know how our politicians can cover up for you people, other than they are responsible for creating this monster. When a government agency needs a staff to run interference for it all the time, there is something terribly wrong.
Yes, the games you people play to make your small minded selves feel some self worth are at fault for the Tyler teachers death. Your culture of pedophilia has gone beyond simply closing a facility or a name change. And it’s going to cost those of us who pay you people a lot of money to give the appearance that the problem is solved. The name may change and the Leg may put all y’all under one super agency but I’m confident you entitlement shitbags will come up with new ways to rape the state and deflect blame elsewhere. It’s a shame you people can’t simply be put in your place, it would save us all a ton of money.
I'll put my name to it Sheldon:
It's a shame your community didn't realize you should have been under much more supervision prior to your commitment to TYC. It's a shame your family didn't step in and straighten your ass up before relying on tax payer dollars to supervise your ass. TYC never wanted you. You came on your own will by continuing to commit felony crimes in your community because you’re a felon. It's as simple as that Harley boy. Cry me a fucking river asshole. I never saw your dirt bag ass but rest assured, if you cross my path, holla bra and I'll give your ass a piece of my mind. I’ve been out of that shithole they call TYC for over a year now because they became WEAK. I left in disgust. So to some point, I agree with you but I still feel compelled to address you and that punk ass ex “inspector general” wannabe who wrote that rag of a bag RBS because his red headed ass in West Texas is still confused and still can’t write a sentence without a comma here and there.
I’m in Rockwall, Texas. I’ll meet you anytime.
Tommy
bayesadustingservice@gmail.com
Bayes Adjusting Sevice, LLC. Dallas/Ft.Worth - Texas
Sounds good Thomas, let try and get together next week. I would like to hear a different side face to face. Times were different in the 70's and my family did a lot. It was me who had to make the change.
I also want to hear about what you doing to help kids now?
Sheldon.
A google search on Bayes Adjusting Sevice, LLC. Dallas/Ft.Worth - Texas does not exist. Its fictisious. More bs from a TYC has been.
Good enough Sheldon – I’m listed with the Secretary of State in Texas to whomever found my post bullshit. I'm working hail claims right now and getting ready to deploy to help folks in Alabama and Georgia. I had to get the LLC with a freaking federal id number before these insurance assholes would pay me for the freaking work I'm doing so call the feds you dumbass poster questioning me... It's Bayes Adjusting Service LLC, Fed. Tax. is available once you identify your asshole self.
E-me Sheldon
bayesadjustingservice@gmail.com
Believe me, I exist.
tomba- breaking yolk again! Well said tommy!
Looks like you’re doing some good work now Thomas. Unfortunately your Gmail account is not working. I have to say using an inactivated Google account and having a business with a gmail account suspiciously gives the appearance of a cover-up. Even multi level marketing people know its unprofessional to use Gmail for business. BTW, Thomas Bayes was the name of a French mathematician.
I’m happy to meet with you but I’m not in to all that yolk breaking or tossed salad stuff the youngsters talk about. To be clear Thomas, I’m from the gladiator tyc not this new coddle and molest tyc. I’m not a teenager I’m on old man and prefer woman, hot woman, not guys. And I were the asshole badge proudly, thanks for the compliment
I have met with so many past and present tyc employees, but not one has met with me to defend this new culture of pedophilia. The few hundred I have in my contact database span all racial lines, so it’s not just limited to any particular demographics. They have all wanted to feed me information or complain about people and mostly to cheer me on to make tyc do the right thing according to its charter.
Click on my profile, Ive got nothing to hide.
I’m looking forward to hearing your defense of the pedophile lifestyle of today’s tyc culture, assuming that’s why you accepted my invitation to discuss this with someone in favor of it. You will be the first to accept and ‘come out’ in defense of this lifestyle. Hopefully we can meet in person so I can read you better. I will try not to throw up, and be respectful to your lifestyle choices. On the other hand if I have misread your post because of my conditioning from tyc to think if someone is defensive they are guilty of the crime and you do not want to defend the tyc culture of pedophilia that’s ok, we can still meet. Perhaps you misunderstood my invite. On the other hand I think it’s been helpful for many tyc employees to get this stuff off their chest and talk about it with someone who cares and can possible do something about it. One guy wanted to beat me up but when we met it decided not to. Its sensitive to some I suppose.
My gmail account is fine and is working. I'm not here to defend any faggots, or anyone who has ever engaged in any sort of abuse - but I am here to defend those who have busted their asses doing the right thing for years only to be insulted by you in your rants. You can also reach me at bayestommy@yahoo.com.
Hey Sheldon, Tommy is one of the good ones. The way you write your insults the average TYC person is not going to understand your target or just how insulting you are. Like many Tommy is just reacting to you and has no clue what you are about from his post. I like the way you portray yourself as a broken down old man, you still teaching Krav?
Tommy this Sheldon guy is a good one to talk with. We have not had or want the type of kid he was in TYC. We have had some bad kids, but this guy takes the cake. He was mean, smart and from a well connected family. Not a combination we get. But if all our kids could make it like he did the world would be applauding us.
All right I'll have to trust that comment. I still have my e-mail addresses Sheldon. I can tell you some stories - believe me. Good luck folks.
Who supervised Tommy Bayes when he was at TYC? Who covered for him? He was known as a hard head (sort of a loud mouth bar room fumer) as his recent rants indicate.
LMAO - no one could "supervise" me, because I called balls - balls and strikes - strikes. It was called as it was, and I’d never coward down for any of those who attempted to persuade me because I always had other options and they knew it. I miss Ranty, who never had the Chance to experience balls like that, and who I really miss. lol... good luck all!
I think that the thing that is being overlooked in this discussion is that not all of the mentally ill youth in TYC are docile and compliant. They are VIOLENT and pose a serious threat to safety in a loosely structured program. They used to refer to that as committing a youth based upon the "nature of the offense". What's next, a return to thorazine and electro-shock treatments to control the violence?
06:47 When these issues are considered, they are viewed from an ideological perspective. For progressives, facts matter less than positions. Sex offenders are cast as Romeos and Juliets, laws are aimed at oysters, criminals are innocent and police are the criminals.
The public, to be mobilized, has to constantly reminded of what the enemy is all about.
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