LOS ANGELES—Embark Behavioral Health is providing accessible mental health services to a larger population of youths, young adults, and their families in Southern California by enrolling clients at three new outpatient clinics in the region. The leading network of mental health treatment programs for young people and their families now has locations in Woodland Hills, West Los Angeles, and Newport Beach.

The new clinics offer comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for a range of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and more.

“We’re reaffirming our commitment to providing accessible and evidence-based mental health services to those in need,” said Jeremy Behling, group president of outpatient clinics.

Embark strategically chose the Woodland Hills, West Los Angeles, and Newport Beach, Calif., locations to provide convenient access for individuals living in these areas. The goal is to eliminate barriers to mental health care by making the clinics easily accessible and creating a warm and welcoming environment for clients. All locations provide an intensive outpatient program (IOP) and a therapeutic day treatment program, also known as a partial hospitalization program, or PHP.

“We’re reaffirming our commitment to providing accessible and evidence-based mental health services to those in need,” said Jeremy Behling, group president of outpatient clinics. “Through partnerships like Anthem Blue Cross California, we aim to ensure that quality care is affordable for our clients, underscoring our dedication to breaking down barriers to mental health care, fostering a nurturing environment for healing and growth.”

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PHILADELPHIA—Penn Medicine is launching a new community mental health hub at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania — Cedar Avenue (HUP Cedar), co-locating inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care with a new crisis response center (CRC) at the facility. The multi-year plan will put crucial psychiatric and substance use care in easy reach for West and Southwest Philadelphia residents, at a time when both mental illness and drug and alcohol dependence are surging in the city.

The project will begin with moving inpatient psychiatric and drug and alcohol detoxification units from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to HUP Cedar in July, followed by the opening of a new crisis response center at the facility later in the summer which is expected to provide an estimated 4,000 patient visits each year. The steps will create two comprehensive, fully integrated mental health hubs at Penn Medicine facilities in Philadelphia, offering emergency mental health services and inpatient and outpatient care at both HUP Cedar and Pennsylvania Hospital, which has operated a CRC since 1999. Together, Pennsylvania Hospital and HUP Cedar will have 73 licensed inpatient psychiatric beds and 16 beds for substance use treatment. Additional space at HUP Cedar will allow for expansion of coordinated services to further care for West and Southwest Philadelphia communities over the next five years.

As one of the nation’s largest cities, Philadelphia’s mental health struggles are a microcosm of broader trends: A Pew Research Center survey from late 2022 reported that 41 percent of Americans — and nearly 60 percent of young adults — have experienced high levels of psychological distress at least once since the early stages of the pandemic. At the same time, more than two-thirds of Americans live in areas without sufficient psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. In Philadelphia, more than 20 percent of the city’s residents are coping with a diagnosed depressive disorder and substance use-related deaths have climbed to record levels.

Similar to the CRC at Pennsylvania Hospital, the HUP Cedar CRC — which will replace the CRC previously operated on the site by Mercy Philadelphia Hospital until its closure in March of 2020 — will be licensed as a crisis intervention walk-in facility and will serve as a discreet psychiatric emergency room, providing triage, evaluation, treatment and social services support for acute substance use and serious psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia.

The co-location of the inpatient psychiatric units with emergency care provided through the CRC will enable a seamless transition of care for patients, eliminating the wait time and additional steps required to transfer patients to inpatient units at other facilities — a common occurrence in a city where emergency psychiatric resources remain in short supply.

Staff at both CRC locations will be connected via a real-time data system providing details on bed availability in order to ensure patients can be placed as quickly as possible and that each location has the right staffing resources. Penn Presbyterian will continue to provide select outpatient psychiatric care as well treatment for substance use disorders after the transition of inpatient services to HUP Cedar.

HUP Cedar is part of the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar, which opened in March 2021, transitioning the building from the former Mercy Philadelphia Hospital into a campus offering emergency and inpatient care as well as primary care and community-driven social supports.

Penn Medicine will invest $5.76M toward the opening of the CRC at HUP Cedar as part of the mental health hub project. The CRC reopening has also received a grant from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health earmarked $4.1 million in HealthChoices reinvestment funds.

In addition to Penn Medicine’s adult mental health services on the site, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia plans to open an inpatient pediatric behavioral health facility, the CHOP Behavioral Health & Crisis Center, on the site, as well. The 46-bed acute inpatient psychiatric facility and 24/7 walk-in crisis center will create a safe, inclusive and restorative setting for children and adolescents.

The second phase of the new mental health hub plan will also increase care capacity at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC), by converting the vacated psychiatric beds to medical surgical units. Those steps will help to improve patient movement across the hospital, reducing emergency department wait times and providing additional capacity for post-surgery recovery.

The new services at HUP Cedar are part of Penn Medicine’s wraparound commitment to bringing more mental health care support to the community across each of its mission areas. Penn Integrated Care (PIC), a program, which embeds mental health professionals in primary care practices, launched in 2018. More than 230,000 patients in 24 Penn Medicine primary clinics have access to PIC services. To date, 35,000 patients have been treated directly by PIC clinicians or connected to specialty care in the community.

Beginning this summer, the health system will add a new path for training fellows in drug and alcohol use treatment. That program, for physicians specializing in family medicine, primary care, and emergency medicine, among other disciplines, aims to ensure that providers in multiple settings are equipped to help patients take steps toward recovery and provides a much-needed addition to the existing fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at Penn Medicine and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center (CMC VAMC) in Philadelphia. In addition, a new consultation service provides psychiatric care to patients hospitalized for complex medical needs at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Future plans include potential opening of a medical-psychiatric unit to ensure that patients with these complex needs are cared for in dedicated spaces.

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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.—National Mental Health Awareness Month in May presents an ideal time to highlight how and why physical spaces can contribute toward optimal emotional, psychological and social well-being for all, according to Bob Ryan, principal of DIGroup Architecture’s Healthcare Studio. The firm, which is based in New Brunswick and has an office in Philadelphia, prioritizes mental health across all of its studios, from healthcare and senior living, to education and community spaces.

“Addressing the mental health crisis in the United States is an all-hands-on-deck proposition,” said Ryan. “While physicians, neuroscientists and psychologists are taking the lead on how we can collectively improve the well-being of all members of our communities, there is more and more evidence that our physical spaces and environments have a direct impact on how we feel. As a result, there is an extremely important role for all of us to play.”

An integral part of the creative process for all of its architecture, interiors and graphic design professionals, DIGroup deploys a multi-disciplinary approach to prioritize mental wellness and cognitive experiences for all end users, from acute care and outpatient settings to civic gathering spaces and academia. “Space is powerful because it has the power to affect how users think, feel and act,” said Ryan. “As a result, every room in every building has the potential to influence how people handle stress, relate to others and make choices.”

Ryan, who leads the highly specialized Healthcare Studio, has more than 30 years of experience in architecture for health and wellness clients. In this role, he works together with DIGroup’s interior and graphic design teams, as well as each client’s administrative and provider teams.

The singular goal for Ryan and DIGroup’s team is to deliver spaces that make sense clinically, are soothing and feel less sterile. Some of the firm’s techniques include incorporating inspirational graphics and wayfinding, gentle lighting and calming color schemes.

Examples of recent projects where DIGroup Architecture paid particular attention to creating positive human-facility interactions include:

• Manhattan Psychiatric Center, Wards Island, NY
• Hunterdon Behavioral Health Outpatient Unit, Flemington, NJ
• NY Center for Addiction Treatment Services, NY, NY
• Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Behavioral Health Facility, New Point Campus, Nurse Station, Renovations, Elizabeth, NJ
• JFK Medical Emergency Dept. Behavioral Health, Edison, NJ
• Monmouth Medical Center, Behavioral Health Suite, Long Branch, NJ
• Urban Health Plan Simpson Pavilion Bronx, NY
• RWJ Behavioral Health Hospital 3E Renovations, Rahway, NJ

“When we’re working on a healthcare facility, we work hand-in-hand with clinicians and administrators to marry clinical needs with psychological comfort,” Ryan said. “Studies have shown that even the simplest of architectural details – from lighting to color and layout – can create positive interactions between people and their spaces. We are committed to doing our part to advocate for architecture that creates change – and encourages mental health. This month, every month and every day.”

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DAVIE, Fla.—At a time of increased need for mental health services, Memorial Outpatient Behavioral Health Center is expanding its space by 40% with a $5 million initial investment by Memorial Healthcare System. The relocation and expansion of over 7,000 square feet will offer an additional 10,080 adult mental health and addiction visits—including psychiatry, behavioral health counseling and primary care services. This expansion will also include additional innovative services, all focused on helping patients achieve health and wellness in all areas of their lives.

Over the next year, the Behavioral Health Center, now located at 5595 South University Drive, Davie, Fla, will recruit three additional mental health providers, increase psychiatry resident rotations, and pursue additional federal, state and county grant funding. The plan also includes the creation of a teen and young adult program in partnership with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States. More than 50% of people will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime, and 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in any given year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“On the heels of the pandemic, we have seen an increase in patients experiencing mental health crises in our community, evident also by an influx of patients into our emergency rooms seeking help,” said Tammy Tucker, PsyD, VP, Memorial Behavioral Health. “The expansion of Memorial’s outpatient behavioral health services is happening just at the right time to respond to the needs of our community and provide a safe space where our mental health professionals can empower even more patients and their families and provide them the tools they need to achieve wellness.”

Memorial’s expansion of outpatient services is taking place at a time when other market challenges are exacerbating access issues, barriers to care and health disparities. Inpatient psychiatric programs are closing in Broward County, and payment for private mental health services are shifting from insurance coverage to out-of-pocket expenses.

“We believe our new Behavioral Health Center will be a beacon of hope for those who need mental health and substance abuse services and will have a tremendous impact on the well-being of our patients, caregivers, families and more,” said Claudia Vicencio, PhD, LCSW, LMFT, Director, Outpatient Behavioral Health. “We are proud to offer this expanded space and services and we want people to know that we are here to help.”

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COLUMBUS, Ohio—Hammes Healthcare, a leading provider of consulting and project management services, is pleased to celebrate the groundbreaking of The Franklin County Crisis Care Center on behalf of the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) in Columbus, Ohio.

Hammes has been engaged as the owner’s representative on the project since 2021, supporting ADAMH with planning, design and construction initiatives, including team member selection.
The new 72,000-square-foot center will offer walk-in services, an intake and assessment area, a 23-hour observation unit, inpatient unit, substance use disorder treatment services, medical services, pharmacy, family support services, and administrative services. It will also serve as the preferred location for first responders to take patients in need of mental health and addiction crisis services.

“We are honored to support ADAMH on this endeavor and recognize the positive impact it will have on Franklin County,” said Nancy Connolly, President of Hammes Healthcare.

Hammes Healthcare is a national consulting firm that provides real estate and market strategy, facility planning, project management and development services to the healthcare industry.

NBBJ is the architect on the project; the construction is a combination of Corna Kokosing and Elford.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Health care construction firm Hoar Construction has begun work on a brand-new veteran health and care center, to be located in Alabama’s largest city. The facility, to be called the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will focus primarily on the all-important area of veterans’ mental health.

Hoar is partnering with developer US Federal Properties Co. LLC of Kansas City, Mo., and architect Hoefer Wysocki of Leawood, Kan., on the project for America’s veterans, reported the Birmingham Business Journal.

The report said that the healthcare services that will be provided to veterans at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center will include outpatient mental health care, outpatient group psychotherapy and psychiatry, intensive care management, “telehealth” programs, homeless support programs, as well as workshops and support personnel to aid in prevention of veteran suicide. The new facility will also have programs available to assist veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. Group psychotherapy sessions will also be offered at the medical operation.

The healthcare facility for veterans will offer these services in a facility designed specifically for mental health, which will feature 60,000 square feet of healthcare space all located under the same room.

The Business Journal quoted Hoar’s vice president for healthcare, Mark Hendricks, who said that the firm is proud to be able to construct a healthcare facility for veterans in the same city in which the general contracting firm is headquartered. The new clinic will allow thousands of veterans to access “services that previously weren’t available,” Hendricks said, and he made special emphasis on the importance of America’s veterans getting access to the mental health treatment options they need.

The Alabama business website AL.com reports that the $30 million, 60,000-square-foot clinic will likely serve 25,000 veterans per year at one centralized location when it opens, which will likely be sometime in the fall of 2021. Furthemore, when the facility opens next year at 7901 Crestwood Blvd., there will be parking spaces for about 450 vehicles.

Hoar, whose worldwide operations are based out of Birmingham, has been rather active in the Yellowhammer State when it comes to healthcare construction and operations. AL.com reports that in addition to the forthcoming Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hoar has also provided construction services for other healthcare facilities such as the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children and Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, both of which are also located in Birmingham. Other healthcare projects in Alabama include the Lakeshore Foundation campus master plan, Infirmary Health’s Saraland medical campus and the Russell Medical Total Healthcare and Urgent Care. Hoar has also provided contracting services for the University of South Alabama’s Fanny Meisler Trauma Center.

In total, their construction portfolio in the healthcare sector in 2019 topped $130 in Alabama.

Architecture firm Hoefer Wysocki’s healthcare portfolio also includes VA facilities in Phoenix, San Antonio and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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LANCASTER, Pa. – Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital (LBHH) has opened its doors to its new 77,000-square-foot behavioral health facility – expanding access to inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment across the region.

The $30 million project was prompted by a community health assessment from Penn Medicine Lancaster; revealing that over 30,000 adults in Lancaster County have a diagnosed behavioral health condition.

This, and a growing local population combined with a broader recognition of mental health’s impact on physical health drove a partnership between Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and Universal Health Services to create a freestanding psychiatric hospital that enables wellness by providing strength- and evidence-based, trauma informed care.

The 126-bed unit houses six units including the County’s only adolescent unit, a general Adult Unit serving patients with a primary mental health diagnosis and co-occurring needs through Substance Abuse Education, a women’s trauma unit, a psych/med unit and an intensive adult unit.

The patient treatment programs include group and individual therapies, evidence based treatments such as Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Motivational Interviewing, Art and Music Therapy, Fitness/Movement Therapy, Aroma Therapy, Pet Therapy and Daily Meditation.

Patient rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art safety features that facilitate healing and compassionate care including: each unit featuring access to a courtyard with walking paths and outdoor therapeutic space, an indoor gymnasium, intentionally designed therapeutic environment that includes calming color palette, natural wall décor and art, and natural light throughout building design and a ligature resistant fixtures to help maintain patient safety.

“In general, this facility is designed to ensure patient and staff safety and security while maintaining a therapeutic environment that preserves a patient’s dignity, privacy, and comfort. We wanted to provide comforting and non-institutional environment,” said Bryn Heist, RH, CHC, senior regional project manager of design & construction at Universal Health Services, Inc.

The facility also has the ability to serve several different patient populations with differing levels of acuity.

The building is specifically designed to cater to these individualized populations by their respective Nursing Units. For instance, one unit caters to patients that have minor physical medical conditions along with behavioral conditions. This particular unit features wider corridors for patient bed transport, additional storage in patient rooms, and specialized wayfinding elements designed to assist patients who may be suffering from memory loss.

Additionally, the overall building layout facilitates movement of these patient populations between their respective Nursing Units and shared therapy/dining spaces while maintaining total separation of the populations. Certain units are set up to provide bed swing capability, so LBHH can respond to changing therapeutic needs within its community.

LBHH also features a building automation system (BAS), which provides the facilities team with real-time remote monitoring and control of a majority of the building’s mechanical and electrical systems. The BAS provides another tool for our team to manage and optimize building efficiency.

Universal Health Services selected Stengel-Hill Architecture (SHA) of Louisville, Ky with Warfel Construction of East Petersburg, Pa. selected as the General Contractor for the project. Warfel worked closely with UHS and SHA through both the design and construction processes.

“One of the more unique challenges of this project was the setting. LBHH is located in Lancaster, Pa., and we were tasked with providing a design that respects and reinforces the area’s rich historical urban fabric,” said Heist. “With the support of the local zoning authorities – and continued support of our neighbors throughout the construction process – we were able to successfully meet this challenge. The end result is a state-of-the-art facility that provides the best patient care and a handsome exterior that fits in with, and hopefully enhances, its surrounding environment.”

Construction on LBHH began in May 2017 and concluded in June 2018; with a soft opening on July 9, 2018.

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TEL-AVIV, Israel — London-based practice, Amos Goldreich Architecture and local firm, Jacobs-Yaniv Architects were hired to design a shelter for domestic violence victims with human rights activist, Ruth Rasnic, founder of the international charity No To Violence leading the course. Located near Tel-Aviv, the facility will provide a much-needed haven for abused women and children from all different regions and backgrounds.

According to World Health Organization data, up to 45 percent of women in Israel, comparable to most countries in the west, will be victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives, including recent statistics showing that 45 percent of children in Israel will be victims of violence, according to a statement. In 2015, a total of 755 women, an increase of about 20 percent over 2014, took refuge in one of Israel’s 14 shelters for women who are domestic violence victims. Around 20 women are murdered in domestic violence cases every year in Israel, many of whom sought assistance at shelters, but after leaving, found themselves without money or support and returned home to their abusers, as reported by Haaretz.

While the No To Violence charity currently runs three shelters, this will be the charity’s first purpose-built shelter, and the facility will also assist with the organization’s administrative headquarters. The design will appeal to people of diverse ethnic and geographical backgrounds, including Arab, Israeli, Ethiopian, Russian and Ukrainian women and children.

The 17,222-square-foot site for the shelter was specifically chosen to be situated within reach of local community resources, (i.e. stores, jobs, health clinics, schools, parks, counseling centers and recreational facilities). The building’s environmental strategy is highly sustainable, using locally sourced materials that are durable and low-maintenance, while main areas are naturally ventilated and mechanical ventilation systems are highly energy efficient. The shelter also uses solar panels to heat all water.

The shelter offers an array of services, including communal areas, a kindergarten, a computer room, laundry facilities, kitchens and a refectory, independent living quarters for each family, staff accommodation, office areas for the shelter’s manager and staff (including social workers, a child psychologist, housemothers, a childcare worker and a part-time lawyer). There are additional professional workers including psychotherapists, drama or arts therapists along with volunteers who works as cosmeticians, hairdressers, reflexology and martial arts practitioners, and others helping children with their studies and computer skills.

Within the shelter, a courtyard functions as a meeting place for the residents, while maintaining the best possible visibility between the house mother and the families as well as between the women, their children and the staff. Women who come to the shelter will receive empathy and compassion, legal aid, medical guidance, assistance in relocating, and help with basic furniture and equipment. Additionally, mothers who acquire custody of their children will have them referred to local schools.

“The shelter will provide a much-needed refuge for abused women — they arrive in a state of real distress, these people have deep psychological problems, as do their children, so the shelter must provide them with a tangible sense of calm and security,” Rasnic said in a statement. “The architects have created a miracle, really, a place where people of disparate backgrounds can come to terms with their individual trauma, where we can help rebuild their lives, give guidance and support during a key period of transition. And we have many success stories. This is just one example of the work achieved by No To Violence. This new shelter will make a huge contribution to the ongoing work of our charity.”

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Patient suicide ranks among the top three sentinel events, reports The Joint Commission (TJC), prompting regulators to focus heavily on ligature risks this year. If many suicide attempts are impulsive, TJC reasons, then reducing environmental risks and opportunities for self-harm is vital for curbing the suicide trend in healthcare settings.

With that in mind, surveyors are taking a hard look at ligatures: potential hanging or choking points in healthcare facilities. Patients who have been identified as potential risk to themselves or others, will use any item or ligature point within a room to accomplish harm. Additionally, some accreditation organization surveyors have gone to extremes to validate a point of view by utilizing floss, hang it over a door hinge and say, “That’s a ligature point.” Although that last example may be extreme, the fact is accreditation organizations are being extremely meticulous, which means healthcare facilities must ensure they are prepared for this type of scrutiny.

Any observable ligature risk, no matter how small, is an immediate Recommendations for Improvement (RFI) when observed in an inpatient psychiatric area, to be corrected within 45 days or less depending on the severity or the total number of issues identified. Given what’s at risk — people’s lives — ligature RFIs are never appropriate for time extensions, said the TJC at this year’s ASHE conference.

Put simply, when surveyors walk into your healthcare facility, they’ll assess:

• Has this facility identified and assessed ligature risks?
• What plans have they developed to eliminate those risks?
• What is their risk assessment process?
• Is staff aware, trained and well equipped to act on these plans and improvement processes?

In a recent alert, TJC outlined minimum expectations for ligature risk mitigation plans:

• Leadership and staff are aware of current environmental risks.
• Patient’s individual risk for suicide or self-harm is identified, followed by appropriate interventions.
• At-risk behavior is assessed on a recurring basis.
• Staff is properly trained to identify patients’ level of risk and intervene properly.
• Suicide and self-harm mitigation strategies are incorporated into the Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement (QAPI) program.
• Policies and procedures are in place, and staff knows what immediate action to take when a patient is deemed at risk for suicide.
• If equipment poses a risk but is necessary for treatment of psychiatric patients, those risks are considered in the patient’s assessments, and adequate interventions are implemented to minimize those risks.

TJC notes that psychiatric patients may pass through or spend time in non-behavioral health units like emergency rooms, so ligature risks must also be addressed in those areas. “Any physical risks not required for the treatment of the patient that can be removed, must be removed,” stated TJC, and patients should remain under surveillance if risks remain in the environment.

As you take steps to counter ligature risks, keep in mind this is so much more than a compliance issue. You wouldn’t see regulators emphasize ligatures if those risks hadn’t enabled tragedies in facilities like yours. Help ensure no patient harms him or herself under your watch.

Larry Lacombe is the vice president of Program Development and Facilities Compliance at Medxcel Facilities Management, specializing in facilities management, safety, environment of care, emergency management and compliance. Medxcel Facilities Management provides healthcare service support products and drives in-house capabilities, savings and efficiencies for healthcare organizations.

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MOBERLY, Mo. – When an Iraq War veteran approached Functional Unit Manager Amanda Lake at Moberly Correctional Center (MCC) with tears filled in his eyes, Lake and her colleagues were originally hesitant to meet his request. The inmate had come to ask her if he could join the new 66-bed veterans dorm pilot program at the facility. He had recent conduct violations, and the staff had not yet decided the criteria for placement with the veterans dorms. He pled to be reconsidered.

“He told me, ‘I want to be there; I want to change my life,'” Lake recalled. “‘I have this black cloud with me all the time.'”

That offender has now become the quarter master in the six-month-old MCC veterans dorm, in which a multigenerational group of 48 incarcerated U.S. military veterans has established a platoon system, transforming a prison wing into a housing unit that feels similar to a barracks.

For decades, veterans have been returning home from overseas with what are known as “invisible wounds” of war, often suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury. They may require counseling or therapy to help them adjust back to civilian life. Some need medication, or take CBD therapies from dispensaries like Pure Hemp Farms to help them manage symptoms of stress and anxiety. However many veterans do not get treatment for any of these conditions as they lack the substantial tools and resources needed for treatment.

These veterans are not usually criminals prior to their military service. However, as a result of their military experience, some – especially those who were deployed to a combat zone – have difficulty assimilating back into civilian life when they return home, with behavior including poor impulse control, anger issues and addiction issues. Unfortunately, not everyone can use cannabis (whether it be Organic CBD Nugs or pure cannabis) in the correct manner, which results in substance abuse. Many veterans use these substances to suppress feelings of anxiety, which then spirals out of control. The combination of unemployment, substance abuse, mental health issues and a lack of comprehensive counseling fosters a slippery slope, with veterans often finding themselves in the criminal justice system.

According to the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 181,500 veterans are incarcerated, including 131,500 in prison and 50,000 in jails in the United States. The figure is down 9 percent from the 206,500 incarcerated in 2004. Overall, veterans represented about 8 percent of all federal and state inmates, according to figures based on a 2011 to 2012 survey conducted by the department.

Although the population of incarcerated veterans in corrections has declined over the last decade, this particular population continues to face specific challenges and requires special needs.

This is why the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) is expanding its veterans dorm program at MCC to three other prisons in the state by partnering with Corizon Health, a leading provider of correctional healthcare services in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that 20 percent of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans are affected by PTSD. Until recently, the particular needs of veterans weren’t directly addressed in MDOC facilities.

According to a statement, the MDOC houses more than 1,860 offenders, about 5.6 percent of the statewide prison population, who self-identify as U.S. military veterans. At MCC, about 133 of the facility’s 1,800 offenders initially revealed their veteran status, and Lake said about 10 more have come forward since the program started.

Corizon Health has been providing health services to MDOC for more than 24 years, establishing a medical contract with Missouri in 1992 and eventually achieving a mental health contract in 2014.

The provided mental health services at MDOC have included group and individual counseling, specialized housing for some patients and medication management, along with many other services. But for the most part, there was little distinction made between veterans and the rest of the inmate population. However, in recent years there has been greater awareness of the unique needs of veterans and how their service and combat experience may contribute not only to their behavioral health challenges, but also to their rehabilitation. As a group, they tend to be older, incarcerated for violent offenses in greater percentages than the general inmate population, and more likely to be incarcerated for a first offense.

In 2016, MDOC worked with the department to begin a new therapeutic group at the MCC, a PTSD treatment group specifically designed for veterans. Many offenders struggle with this disorder, but the causes and underlying issues – such as domestic violence and street violence – are different from the combat experience. Patricia Cahill, institutional chief of mental health services at MCC, explained that, with very little additional financial investment, this program was achieved through restructuring housing and tailoring existing therapy programs to the veteran inmates.

“We had never in the prisons – in terms of housing, re-entry, therapy – done anything specifically for veterans,” said Cahill. “We piloted this PTSD group, and then we realized how big it was. It exploded. The results are so encouraging – disciplinary incidents have declined dramatically among this group.”

To read the entire article, check out the January/February issue of Correctional News.

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