BREVARD MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES & JAIL STATUS REPORTS - 12 September 2007

By 1^st VP Freda Schildroth 

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training:   Plans are underway for the next Brevard County Sheriff’s Office CIT Training Program which is scheduled for 5-9 November 2007.  The first planning committee meeting was yesterday. 

Crisis Stabilization Units Update:   As of Noon, Monday, 10 September 2007, Circles of Care, Inc., had 29 and Wuesthoff Behavioral Health had 17 people waiting for a Crisis Bed.  Circles has 16 and Wuesthoff has 2 Clients who are court-ordered for long-term care (possible admission to Northeast Florida State Hospital).  The Past Month “Worst Case Scenario” (greatest number of people waiting to be admitted to a Crisis Bed) was 32 for Circles and 17 for Wuesthoff.   (Thanks to Dr. Barry Hensel of Circles of Care and Lisa Conway of Wuesthoff Behavioral Health for the Crisis Stats.)

Parrish Medical Center Report:  Parrish Medical Center received 43 Baker Act Clients during the month of August 2007.  Of those admitted to Parrish to wait for an open crisis bed, the “worst case” verifiable length of stay was 5 days.  Parrish has received a total of 211 Baker Act Clients thus far this year as compared to 116 for the first eight months of 2006.  (Thanks to Deena Ellis, Security Supervisor, Parrish Medical Center, for this report.) 

Health First, Inc., Reports  (Thanks to Jim Kendig, Vice President, Health First, Inc.):  Holmes Regional Medical Center (HRMC)  received a total of 29 Baker Act Clients during the month of August 2007.  Of those admitted to HRMC to wait for an open crisis bed, the "worst case" verifiable length of stay was 22 days.   Palm Bay Community Hospital (PBCH)  received a total of 11 Baker Act Clients during the month of August 2007.  Of those admitted to PBCH to wait for an open crisis bed, the "worst case" verifiable length of stay was 4 days.  No report from Cape Canaveral Hospital (CCH) this month.  

Brevard County Deaths by Suicide Report:  There were 6 deaths by Suicide in Brevard County during the month of August 2007.  They are as follows:  3 Gunshot Wounds, 2 Hangings, and 1 Carbon Monoxide.  There were three apparent drug overdoses during August 2007 including 1 Crack Cocaine and OxyContin, 1 Xanax and Soma, and 1 Heroin.  (Thanks to Nancy Slater, Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office, for this report.)

Brevard County Mental Health Court Update (The Honorable Judge Cathleen Clarke presiding):   As of 31 August 2007, there are 10 people who were diverted from Jail and under the supervision of the Mental Health Court.  Three (3) Clients were accepted into the court during the month of August.   (Thanks to Thomas Caulfield, Mental Health Court Coordinator, Circles of Care, Inc.,  for providing the Mental Health Court statistics.) 

Stats from Mental Health Services of Jail:  During August 2007, there were a total of 1309 Mental Health Contacts by Mental Health Specialists.  There were 405 Initial Assessments from Referrals at Booking.  There were 510 Mental Health Follow-up Visits, 135 Rounds/Brief Mental Health Contacts, and 69 Consultations and Case Staffings.  There were 245 Mental Health In-house Moves during August 2007.  Four hundred nine (409) Contacts for People on Special Watch Status and 0 Case Management Contacts were completed.  There were a total of 120 Referrals to the Jail Psychiatrist including 111 Psychiatric Evaluation Referrals and 9 Emergency Medication Rechecks.  Physician Contacts totaled 159.  There were 29 Staffing Consults and 4 Baker Act Evaluations and Transfers.

During the month of August 2005, Orville Clayton, the Director of Mental Health, Brevard County Jail Complex , began a Psycho-educational Group to help Inmates learn techniques for stress management and coping skills.  During the month of September 2005,  66  Inmates participated in this program,  69 during October 2005,  88 during November 2005, and during the month of December 2005, 157 Inmates participated!  There were no Psycho-educational Groups during the months of January through May 2006.  During the month of June 2006,  65 Inmates participated in the program,   45 during July 2006,  10 during August 2006,  87 during September 2006, 39 during October 2006, 77 during November 2006, and 123 Inmates participated in Psycho-educational Group during the month of December 2006!  Six (6) Inmates participated during January 2007,  43  during February 2007,  105  during March 2007,  12 during April 2007,  0 during May and June 2007, and 26 during July 2007.  There were no groups during August 2007.   Mental Health Court Report  - as of 31 August  2007:  25  Misdemeanor Files Reviewed;  16 Referrals to the State Attorney.   Mental health services were all completed by Mental Health Services Unit Staff.  (Thanks to Brevard County Jail Complex Mental Health Unit Staff Member Tracy Higginbotham, Secretary,  for computerization and dissemination of the Mental Health Services Stats.) 

Stats  from Jail:  The official Inmate Population total for 31 August 2007 was 1816 (high 1844; low 1799).  On 31 August 2007, 91 Inmates were received and 68 Inmates were released.  The August   2007 MONTH AVERAGE number of Inmates in the Jail was 1832, the HIGH AVERAGE was 1847, and the LOW AVERAGE was  1817.  These numbers compare to the December 2006 MO AVG of 1705,  HIGH AVG of 1719, AVG LOW of 1691, the December 2005 MO AVG of 1471,  HIGH AVG of 1486, AVG LOW of 1457  and the December 2004  MO AVG of 1249, HIGH AVG of 1262, and LOW AVG of 1236.    (Thanks to Connie Wilson,  Administrative Secretary, Brevard County Jail Complex (BCJC), for providing the BCJC Monthly Population Worksheet and End of Month Population Averages.) 

Other interesting Jail stats from the Jail Population Worksheet are:  Of the 1816 total Inmates in the Jail on 31 August 2007, 1541 (84.9%) were male and 275 (15.1%) were female.  There were 1457 Inmates (80.2% of the Jail population) awaiting trial (1241 male, 216 female) of which 1188 were for felonies (1028 male; 160 female) and 269 were for misdemeanors (213 male; 56 female).  Only 2.0% of the Jail population - 35 Inmates (32 male; 3 female) - were awaiting sentencing.   Over two percent (2.25%) of the Jail Population on 31 August 2007 - 41 Inmates (39 male; 2  female) - were awaiting transfer to Department of Corrections,  over three percent (3.4%) - 62 Inmates (49 male of which 19 were Juveniles; 13 female) - were being held for other jurisdictions,  and  0.33%  - 6 Inmates (4 male; 2 female) - were awaiting transfer to a state hospital.  Almost twelve percent of the Jail Population (11.8%), 215 Inmates, are sentenced to BCJC (176 male; 39 female) as of  31 August 2007.   Note:   115 Inmates  were sentenced to BCJC as of 31Jan06,  151 as of 28Feb06, 171 as of 31Mar06,  202 as of  30Apr06,  200 as of 31May06,  178 as of 30Jun06,  174 as of 31Jul06, 186 as of 31Aug06, 181 as of 30Sep06,  173 as of 31Oct06, 182 as of 30 Nov06,  160 as of 31Dec06, 180 as of 31Jan07, 173 as of 28Feb07, 193 Inmates as of 31Mar07, 177 as of 30Apr07, 196 as of 31May07, 198 as of 30Jun07, and  194 Inmates were sentenced to BCJC on 31 July 2007.  Of the 215 Inmates sentenced to BCJC on 31 August 2007, 161 were there for Felony convictions (130 male; 31 female) and 54 were there for Misdemeanor convictions (46 male; 8 female).  Of the 1816 total Inmate population on 31 August 2007,  128 Inmates are  in Jail for Violation of Probation Only and 333 Inmates are there for Violation of Probation w/Charges. 

Comparison of 31Aug07 vs 31Jul07 vs 30Jun07 vs 31May07 vs 30Apr07 vs 31Mar07 vs 28Feb07 vs  31Jan07 vs 31Dec06 vs 30Nov06 vs 31Oct06 vs 30Sep06 vs 31Aug06 vs 31 Jul06 vs 30Jun06 vs 31May06 vs  30Apr06 vs 31Mar06 vs 28Feb06 vs 31Jan06 vs  31Dec05 vs 30Nov05 vs 31Oct05 vs 30Sep05 vs 31Aug05 vs 31July05 vs  30Jun05 vs 31May05 stats -  Total Inmates:  1816 vs 1831 vs 1843 vs 1794 vs 1772 vs 1782 vs 1789 vs 1799 vs 1734 vs 1662 vs 1728 vs 1632 vs 1722 vs 1708 vs 1594 vs 1641 vs 1635 vs 1596 vs 1530 vs 1527 vs 1410 vs 1574 vs 1574 vs 1610 vs 1546 vs 1514 vs 1482 vs 1506; Inmates awaiting trial: 1457 vs 1494 vs 1517 vs 1437 vs 1446 vs 1434 vs 1434 vs 1453 vs 1425 vs 1306 vs 1378 vs 1236 vs 1344 vs 1366 vs 1245 vs 1264 vs 1211 vs 1220 vs 1185 vs 1230 vs 1153 vs 1218 vs 1229 vs 1268 vs 1187 vs 1177 vs 1129 vs 1239;  Inmates awaiting transfer to DOC: 41 vs 47 vs 59 vs 68 vs 76 vs 75 vs 93 vs 79 vs 60 vs 84 vs 73 vs 116 vs 80 vs 65 vs 63 vs 73 vs 94 vs  102 vs 97 vs 89 vs 75 vs 125 vs 127 vs 91 vs 121 vs 121 vs 145 vs 91;  Inmates held for other jurisdictions:  62 vs 60 vs 50 vs 68 vs 54 vs 60 vs 65 vs 63 vs 67 vs 68 vs 79 vs 75 vs 85 vs 82 vs 81 vs 74 vs 88 vs 73 vs 72 vs 77 vs 71 vs 83 vs 85 vs  83 vs 86 vs 86 vs 81 vs 72.   Percentage of the Inmate population awaiting transfer on 31Aug07 was 6.00%  vs 6.23% on 31Jul07  vs 6.02% on 30Jun07 vs 7.75% on 31May07 vs 7.62% on 30Apr07 vs 7.97% on  31Mar07 vs  9.11%  on 28Feb07 vs 8.3% on 31Jan07 vs 7.7% on 31Dec06 vs  9.6% on 30Nov06 vs 9.2% on 31Oct06 vs 12.1% on 30Sep06 vs 9.9% on 31Aug06 vs 9.1% on 31Jul06 vs 9.6% on 30Jun06 vs  9.6% on 31May06  vs 11.9% on 30Apr06 vs 11.5%  on 31Mar06 vs 11.5% on 28Feb06 vs 11% on 31Jan06 vs 11% on 31Dec05 vs 14% on 30Nov05 vs  13.8%  on 31Oct05 vs. 11.2% on 30Sep05  vs 13.8% on 31Aug05 vs 13.9%  on 31Jul05  vs 15.6% on 30Jun05 vs. 11.2% on 31May05. 

FACT Team Update:   On 1 July 2006,  Mental Health Resource Center (MHRC), Inc., a not-for-profit organization based in Jacksonville, Florida, became the provider for Florida Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Team services in Brevard County.   The Director of FACT Programs for MHRC is Cindy O’Brien, M.A.   Melanie Goff, LCSW,  is the Program Manager. Dr. R. Makkena joined the Team on 4 April 2007 to fill the full-time Program Psychiatrist position. 

Brevard FACT Team has TWO vacant positions for Psychiatric Nurses.  Ms. Goff is actively seeking applicants to fill these positions. 

On 28 April 2005, the Brevard FACT Team reached capacity enrollment of 100 Clients.  As of 12 September 2007, the FACT Team staff has served a total of 153 Clients since it became operational on 20 August 2001 and is currently serving  97 Clients.  Five (5) Clients from NEFSH are on discharge status and awaiting possible admission to FACT.  One (1) Client from Circles of Care is also being considered for admission to the Team.  A FACT Team Staff Member is on call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and promotes independent living for FACT Team Clients. (Thanks to FACT Team Program Manager Melanie Goff for contributions to this report.)