By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – They called it mental health first aid.
Providers from Cascade Mental Health have been teaching local law enforcement officers about the many disorders people are affected by and how to best deal with them in the field, as well as how to obtain resources for them.
Sheriff Rob Snaza
Over the past two weeks or so, 52 officers from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies each got five hours of training at the clinic’s Centralia location, according to the sheriff’s office.
It’s part of partnership between the sheriff’s office and Cascade Mental Health, that is already in place at the jail and is expanding.
Deputies and corrections officers are often the first to see and deal with people suffering from mental health disorders, and they continue to see many of them, according to Sheriff Rob Snaza.
Snaza says the jail is not always the best place for them.
“Law enforcement has a tough job of needing to enforce laws, yet apply basic understanding of mental health disorders to specific situations so they can try to seek appropriate resources to help people,” Snaza stated in a news release announcing the training earlier this week.
Corrections Bureau Chief Kevin Hanson notes in the news release his people and Cascade Mental Health have been working together, well, for many years.
They are in the process of strengthening programs already in place to ensure the best possible outcomes for those affected by mental health issues, according to Hanson.
Hanson recently shared with the Lewis County Board of Commissioners that he and Deputy Chief Bruce Kimsey were accepted as board members at Cascade Mental Health.
Hanson also said regular meetings are now underway for what they are calling Mental Health Alternative Programs, something that is akin to an informal mental health court.
The prosecutors and courts are on board with it, he said.
The sheriff’s office is also developing something called a Crisis Intervention Team / Critical Incident Response Team to work both at the jail and out in the field, according to Chief Deputy Stacy Brown.
Sheriff Snaza is allowing those who are interested to undergo further training in regard to that, according to Brown.
Undersheriff Wes Rethwill told county commissioners at a recent meeting the sheriff’s office is ahead of the curve on what is a huge issue across the state, across the country.
“In the past, they get into the criminal justice system” Rethwill said. “That’s not working, how it’s been handled in the past.”
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I would just like to say that I appreciate Lewis County Sirens for allowing honest dialogue to exist between people, because the Chronicle will not allow you to say anything against the establishment here in Lewis County as they are all yes men.
See attached website link devoid of any critical commentary:
http://www.chronline.com/crime/article_8843d582-bc52-11e4-86fc-2b885c761fc5.html?_dc=285536367213.3535#user-comment-area
This hopefully is not just smoke and mirrors and is a start. It won’t be easy to find a balance between program and mental health care. This article doesn’t give any details. I hope you’ve got something bigger than this in mind to help.
Lee,
Will you please tell me what are the “unique needs” that are in this community?
thanks
Lee,
If you do not already work for Cascade, you should consider contacting them to become a Public Relations representative. Then again, you may be with another part of the Lewis County Bourgeois.
When you say that Cascade and the Jail does so much to help people, you make it sound like the program is a benevolent organization. I wish I could donate to the cause! Where can I donate?
The programs must be actually working and no one is suffering with substandard services where guards abuse inmates and no one cares until a guard makes an unauthorized access on a computer system. What a wonderful world YOU live in, Lee!
In the real world, you have people with limited real options and no one gives a damn.
I bet you sleep well at night. I wonder how everyone under the care of the establishment sleeps? I bet you still will sleep well tonight regardless.
I will tell you what though, you have to pay to see your loved one in jail. Maybe that is where they all get the money?
You should get that PR job Lee, because you are insensitive and a poor “mental health therapist”.
Martin
P.S. this all is supported by tax revenue from Lewis County and from inmates that come from outside Lewis County. They also get revenue from the State in certain circumstances. So I guess I donated already when I paid my taxes.
Lee, you are a well-educated idiot! Thanks for your wisdom!
It’s a start! I was told in the past from jail personnel “We don’t do mental health, we do incarceration!” At least this is a beginning to having our law enforcers understand the diverse nature of the various conditions that afflict citizens. Our society says we have to follow laws and pay for our wrongs – even those of us who are delusional, psychotic or unable to manage moods. I think knowledge and familiarity will bring compassion and possibly a different viewpoint that could actually save the life of our mentally ill relatives in crisis. I appreciate that law enforcement is taking this positive first step.
I’m not sure how any of us can respond to your post because she wasn’t mentioned in this story and the info in your second paragraph doesn’t really address her alleged lack of qualifications. I’m not disagreeing with what you’ve said, just saying I’d like to see more background and context. Most of us don’t know the difference between a qualified Mental Health Professional and a Counselor Agency Affiliated Registration…in layman’s terms, how is she “substandard?”
Mr. Bishop,
Perhaps you should do your homework before making claims. Jessica Stickley is in fact a Designated Mental Health Professional recognized by the state to perform Involuntary Treatment Act investigations in accordance with RCW 71.05/34. Furthermore, she does not claim to provide services at a private practice and is not the one who provided the mentioned Mental Health First Aid, she simply submitted a letter to the Sheriff commending his officer’s kindness displayed toward an individual with a diagnosed mental illness.
Mr. Bishop, please educate yourself before making assumptions about others. The person you named has a Masters and is also a Designated Mental Health Professional. The Counselor Agency Affiliated Registration in which you refer is a certification that anyone working in a mental health agency must hold. I am a licensed mental health therapist and also have held an agency affiliated registration. And also, the person you named has made no such statements stating that she provides therapeutic services in a private practice. If you would like to confirm that she is indeed a “Mental Health Professional” please contact the Timberlands Regional Support Network, that provides designation to clinicians meeting the state qualifications to be designated as a mental health professional. You might also go to the department of health and do some research about the qualifications to be a mental health professional, and by the way, it’s not a license.
Further, you need to educate yourself on the cost of mental health care in a jail setting versus getting people connected with the appropriate mental health services in the community. Cascade Mental Health and Lewis County Jail has done a tremendous amount of work, training, and collaboration to devise and put into place plans that will be benefit the unique needs of this community, and continues to do so as the need changes. It appears you also have no knowledge of how policy and program development works. Also, CMHC provides many FREE services to those in need, and goes above and beyond to help people remain stable in the community, and Lewis County law enforcement has also worked hard to provide compassion, care, and assisting in getting individuals directed to the services that they need. Lastly, if you think either of these agencies are taking anything to the bank, then you are in more need of education than I previously thought. I hope you will take this opportunity to educate yourself, become informed, and look at ways in which YOU may enrich the community versus stating negative opinions that are unfortunately not based in fact. Good Day Sir!
You may want to check your facts before you make comments like this. Jessica Stickley is an MHP and she was not even mentioned in this article. Not only that she was not even a staff member that participated in this training so why are you bringing this up…..idiot..
Jessica Stickley is not certified to privately practice. What makes her an expert in the mental health field, as she is not even a qualified Mental Health Professional?
According to the Washington State Department of Health, she holds a Counselor Agency Affiliated Registration since the May 11, 2010 and holds license CG60158326.
Sheriff Snaza and Lewis County should quit giving lip service and obey the law that is mandated by the state in providing adequate health and mental health care.
By providing substandard services to the disadvantaged and incarcerated – Rob Snaza and Cascade Mental Health laugh…. all the way to the bank.