A 35-year-old American Indian male inmate at a tribal jail in South Dakota was held for 325 days waiting for Substance Misuse and Mental Health Assessments. He waited 6 weeks for the Substance Misuse Assessment and waited over 9 months for a Mental Health Assessment. Jails often have limited access to qualified clinical personnel to conduct comprehensive Behavioral Health (BH) assessments. A project implemented at a Tribal Jail in South Dakota enhanced the quality and timeliness of BH screening for incarcerated individuals. Approved Assessments provided an efficient, cost-effective general population method for screening behavioral health issues in a jail population. Native American inmates received the care they needed without added financial strain to the client, the healthcare, and judicial systems. An efficient, useful, online assessment tool increased participants’ access to quality care by reducing wait times without removing them from the community, families, and local culture.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant will complete a comprehensive Behavioral Health assessment that screens for substance misuse, mental health, and biological health.
Upon completion of the course, the participant will complete a comprehensive Behavioral Health assessment used for incarcerated individuals that reduce costs to the inmate, healthcare, and judicial systems.
Upon completion of the course, the participant will learn the relevant social, family, legal, and clinical histories used to assess the risk of future criminal behavior of currently incarcerated individuals.
Upon completion of the course, the participant will have an assessment solution used to identify and prioritize incarcerated individuals for treatment.
Upon completion of the course, the participant will be able to enhance their access, quality, and efficiency of screening for comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorders.
