HOME
Phone Directory
About the Sheriff

                                               Canine
Careers at the SO
Central Communications
Chief Deputy
    Community Policing     
Concealed Carry
Corrections / Jail
Court Services
Curfews
EMPLOYMENT
Detective Bureau
Drug Awareness
Foreclosures
Fraud Schemes
History of SO
Jail Visitation
Marine Patrol
Mental Health Services
Mental Health Court
MOST WANTED
Public Records
Revenue Generated
Road Patrol
SWAT
Sex Offenders
SHERIFFS OFFICE NEWS
Sheriff Sales
Support Services
Victim Assistance
Lake County

 
Internet Safety
For Kids and Parents

Lake County Jail Mental Health Services
Wendy Scanlon /  Matt Kocsis  /  Julie Kalina-Hammond
Mental Health Counselors NEIGHBORING 

        The jail system has two full-time Mental health Consultants and a part-time psychiatrist employed by Neighboring.  These two mental health counselors are responsible for the screening of incoming prisoners for significant psychological issues and illnesses, whether it be from depression, suicide risk, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders or any other form of psychological illness or distress.  They screen and prioritize those inmates needing to see the psychiatrist who may evaluate them a determine a treatment which includes possible medications.  The counselors also supervise the placements of inmates into the designated mental health/special needs housing unit.  Further, they respond to inmates in mental health crises, as well as monitoring the status of inmates on the mental health caseload, including those referred by the Lake County Courts.

About the Staff

Wendy Scanlon, MSSA, LSW has been with Neighboring since April 2003.  She earned her Associates degree from Lakeland Community College, her Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from lake Erie College, and her Master's Degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University.    She interned in sentencing mitigation, probation, case management and group counseling.

Matt Kocsis, MSW, LSW has been with Neighboring since June 2006. He earned his Master of Social Work Degree from Cleveland State University. Before coming to Neighboring and the Lake County Jail he was employed with Bellefaire JCB providing in home therapy to “at risk youth” and Community Re-Entry providing adult re-entry services to the formally incarcerated.

Julie Kalina-Hammond, MSSA, LISW, CCDC has been with neighboring since May of 2000,  She serves as the team leader and supervisor for Neighboring's Criminal Justice team.  She also serves as the treatment manager for the Lake County Mental Health Court under Judge Trebets.  She earned her Master's degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University.

Maureen O'Hara, B.S., M.A. serves as the Community Liaison for the WITTS program (Women in Transition Through Support).  Maureen has been with Neighboring since March of 2006.  She earned her Bachelor's and master's degrees in Criminal Justice from the University of Toledo.  She also interned with federal Pretrial and the Toloedo Correctional institute.
 

2007 Annual Report – Neighboring Mental Health Services

                    The mental health department started off the year with some stability.  The New Year began with two full time Mental Health Consultants (MHC), an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), and a Community Liaison for the Women In Transition Through Support (WITTS) program.  There were two staff adjustments toward years end, the replacement of the APRN in November with a psychiatrist and the absence of one of the MHC’s for the last three months of the year.   

            The mental health staff received a total of 1,361 referrals for the year 2007, which were 359 less referrals than in 2006.  It is important to mention that many of the referrals received were on some of the same individuals and that just because mental health staff received 1,361 referrals that does not necessarily mean that there were 1,361 different people referred. (Note- Referrals for the WITTS Program were added into the total number of referrals last year, which was not the case this year.  If referrals for WITTS would have been added in, the total number of referrals would have been 1,446 for 2007).  Figure 1 shows the distribution of referral sources for the year of 2007 as well as 2006.  While the total number of referrals for the year has declined it can be noted that the frequency of referrals from each source remained the same.  Mental health staff still received the majority of referrals from inmate request forms, followed by referrals from corrections officers, medical staff, email, and the Jail Treatment Program (JTP).  The number of referrals from community mental health agencies (CMHA) rose from last year, while the referrals from probation officers and the courts have declined.  The “other” category, which includes referrals from family members, phone calls, attorneys, etc., remained about the same if taken into consideration that the “other” category does not include referrals for the WITTS Program as it had in 2006. 

Figure 2 compares the reasons for referral between 2006 and 2007.  While the total number of referrals for the year may have decreased, the percentage of people who wanted to speak with a MHC increased in comparison to 2006 (fifty-eight percent in 2006 compared to sixty-two percent of total referrals in 2007).  Also of interest is the decline in the percentage of those who were requesting to see the doctor for medications.  Thirty-three percent of the referrals in 2006 were for the doctor/medications while only twenty-nine percent of referrals were made for this reason in 2007.  The percentage of referrals for suicide risk remained the same for both years, at five percent.  Referrals for the Anger Management Group accounted for three percent of the referrals in 2007, but were not counted in the 2006 statistics as this group was not offered at that time.   The referrals for the WITTS Program were, once again, not included in this years report. 

            In 2007, the mental health staff met with a total of 286 different people and spent a total of 488.40 hours working with individuals face to face.  Although 66 less people were seen in 2007 in comparison to 2006, the amount of time spent face to face with individuals increased by 179.9 hours.  There was also a significant difference in the amount of time mental health staff spent consulting with other professionals regarding clients.  A total of 102.70 hours was spent consulting with others as opposed to 369 hours in 2006.  This difference is also reflected in the total amount of direct service time, 591.1 hours in 2007 compared to 677.5 hours in 2006. (Note: the numbers calculated are based on services provided from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007, however, statistics from October 2007 through December 2007 are based on services provided by one MHC).  Of the 286 people seen, 13 people were referred for emergency admission to a medical/mental health facility (pink slipped), which is 6 more than in the year 2006.           

            Dr. Laura DeHelian APRN, BC, and Dr. Ruth Martin M.D. saw a total of 174 different people a total of 311 times, that is 62 individuals less and 102 less visits in comparison to 2006.  The total number of consultations was 16, as compared to 26 in 2006.  A total of 92.3 hours was spent face to face with clients compared to 122.1 hours last year.  There was psychiatric coverage for 43 out of 52 weeks, which is 3 weeks less than in 2006. 

Figure 3 shows the most recent medications prescribed as well as how often they were prescribed, note, however that this does not include medications that were discontinued.  There were 28 instances, compared to 27 cases in 2006, where people were seen but were not prescribed psychotropic medications.  Unlike in previous years, Seroquel and Trazodone were not among the most frequently prescribed drugs.  Seroquel, which was often used in the past for sleep or stabilization of psychosis, was prescribed only on 2 occasions due to concerns over possible abuse of the drug.  Trazodone, an anti-depressant medication that provides a sedating effect, was not prescribed at all in the year 2007 due to the same concerns.  The most common medications prescribed were anti-depressants/anti-anxiety which accounts for forty percent of the medications prescribed compared to sixty percent in 2006. This was followed by anti-psychotics at thirty-four percent compared to twenty-two percent in 2006, and anticonvulsants/mood stabilizers at twenty-two percent compared to eighteen percent in 2006.           

    Figure 4 illustrates the type of diagnoses as well as the frequency that it was given.   There were a total of 320 actual diagnoses given, with many individuals receiving more than one diagnosis.  There were a total of 4 individuals who received no diagnosis at all, compared to 2 in 2006.  Mood disorders continue to be the disorder most frequently diagnosed.  The second most common diagnosis was in the category of substance abuse/dependency, unlike in 2006 when the second most frequent diagnosis was anxiety disorders.  There was also an increase in psychotic disorder diagnoses, as well as personality disorders and organic or substance induced disorders.  There was a decline in anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, ADHD/conduct disorders and impulse control disorders.   There was a slight increase in the “other” category that includes such diagnoses as eating disorders and mental retardation. 

            A majority of those who received mental health services, sixty-nine percent to be more precise, were residents of Lake County,  compared to sixty-seven percent of the sample in 2006 (See Figure 5).  Within Lake County, the majority of individuals receiving mental health services were residents of Painesville, followed by Mentor, the same as in 2006 (See Figure 6).  As was the case in 2006 the majority of individuals who received psychiatric services were Caucasian males, followed by Caucasian females (See Figure 7).             

            Overall the data continues to show a need for mental health services within this growing population. In the coming year, the mental health consultants will continue to focus primarily on providing crisis intervention to the inmates at the Lake County Jail.  It is the mental health staff’s goal to focus more on development and implementation of discharge planning for the severely mentally ill.  In addition, the team would like to continue to offer anger management to help provide inmates with positive coping skills during their incarceration at the maximum security facility.   

 2006 Annual Report – Neighboring Mental Health Services