The session “A New Prescription: Mental Illness and County Jails” introduces Douglas County, Kansas as a proprietor looking for a new solution on the issues dealing with mental health in their detention facility. It will be addressing the aggravating environments that are often created for those vulnerable individuals where segregation is not a suitable option; while also addressing the social stigma and discrimination that is often developed from the negative cultural sanctions on mental health.
The session will be led by:
- Margaret Severson, a Correction Mental Health Consultant whose services are utilized in detention systems throughout the country, privately and on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Craig Weinaug, the County Admistrator for Douglas County
- Jeff Lane, lead member of the Treanor justice team with experience in designing jails and sheriff’s departments.
- The session will be moderated by Dan Rowe, president of Treanor Architects and Treanor Justice team leader.
Douglas County is using this session to prescribe a new alternative that explores therapeutic environments and program support for the treatment of those with special needs in detention. Ultimately the goal is to reduce the amount of people who are being jailed for socioeconomic or mental health reasons and preserving the safety of those who remain in detention.
Tune in to hear the standards that Douglas County is proposing through a community-wide approach that brings care to the special needs populations.
November 19, Thursday 1:00-2:30pm.