Crossroads Health offers services to prisoners to help increase their chances for success after release

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Through Jail Diversion and Mental Health Court, Crossroads team members provide outpatient treatment to individuals who committed misdemeanors.

By Patricia Nugent

You can judge a society by how well it treats its prisoners.” —Fyodor Dostoevsky

This famous quote by the Russian novelist, who at one point in his life served a four-year sentence of hard labor in Siberia, underscores the redemptive quality of compassion and benevolence.

If Dostoevsky were alive today, he’d find that spirit thriving in Lake County through the variety of advocacy services provided by Crossroads Health.

According to Julie Hammond, who is program manager for Forensic Services at Crossroads, about 16 to 20% of prisoners have a diagnosable mental illness.

“The odds are challenging for this population,” she adds. “Often by the time they get to jail, they’ve already burned their bridges to families, housing and jobs. We do a lot of thinking outside the box, networking to shore things up. I’m constantly advocating for them to get a second or third chance.”

Working within the criminal justice system, her team crafts services to meet the unique needs of each member of the system to ensure his or her mental wellness and chances for success after incarceration.

“Our interdisciplinary team of specialists at the jail works with people along the justice continuum on a case management basis,” says Julie. “We also help those coming out of jail link back to the community. I have an employment specialist who tries to get people jobs when they are released.”

Through Jail Diversion and Mental Health Court, Crossroads team members provide outpatient treatment to individuals who committed misdemeanors.

Their efforts are not restricted to adult prisoners, either. Julie reports that they provide education and group therapy within the Juvenile Justice Center to detour placement at the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

Prevention is also a key component. Julie says her team offers crisis intervention training for police officers so they can better handle situations involving a person with mental health issues.

Crossroads Health is a community-based 501(C)(3) nonprofit with five main locations in Lake County: 8445 Munson Road in Mentor, 9220 Mentor Avenue in Mentor, 1083 Mentor Avenue in Painesville, 35104 Euclid Avenue, Suite 300 in Willoughby and 2 Success Boulevard at Perry High School in Perry. Call 440-255-1700 or visit CrossroadsHealth.org for more information. The main crisis hotline is 440-953-8255.