Tulsa World, Partnership will bring mental health services to Tulsa’s municipal jail
Starting today, mental health and substance abuse treatment services will be offered to Tulsa Municipal City Jail inmates thanks to a collaboration by Family & Children’s Services (FCS), the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Police Department. Two FCS caseworkers and crisis service experts will be embedded in the jail to connect individuals faced with mental health challenges with resources and services.
Many times, services are interrupted when an individual goes to the city jail. The goal of the partnership is to identify and support underserved inmates in jail and provide them with the resources they need to receive successful treatment both in and out of jail.
“We are doing the same type of services as David L. Moss,” said Katherine Ronnow, FCS Criminal Justice Project Manager. “We are going in and meeting with individuals, asking them if they want to start mental health or substance abuse treatment services. It is straight voluntary at this point.”
If the individual agrees, then the enrollment process begins. If needed, the FCS team will also work with them on crisis planning.
“If they are in a mental health crisis, we’ll work with the city jail and the Tulsa Police Department to see if we need to move them to the CrisisCare Center,” Ronnow said.
This new initiative is another way Family & Children’s Services is working to improve diversion programs in recent years.
Mayor G.T. Bynum hailed the partnership as an expansion of the city’s cooperation with Family & Children’s Services.
“Their expertise in addressing mental health crises is helping us deliver better service to Tulsans in need,” Bynum said, “whether from our 911 call center, out in the field with first-responders or even at our municipal jail.”
