2 grants to give services to inmates with mental illness, substance abuse

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Two grants will help Sangamon County improve services for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders.

SIU School of Medicine staff was able to help the Sangamon County Court Services receive two grants to develop services for people with mental illness or substance abuse who are arrested and jailed for minor offenses.

The purpose of the $750,000 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Implementation and Expansion grant is to create a process to divert adults with a diagnosis or symptoms of MI/CMISA from becoming further enmeshed in the criminal justice system.

Individuals who are jailed will be placed in more appropriate services and hold them accountable for any illegal activity. The U.S. Department of Justice/Bureau for Justice Assistance funded the three-year grant.

Sangamon County also received a Safety and Justice Challenge Innovation Fund planning grant. The money will be used to investigate the feasibility of developing a crisis/detox center for individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse.

"Our goal is to create a dedicated space for individuals who are struggling with mental health and/or substance use disorder, and get them better treatment without a trip to the emergency room or jail," said Smith, executive director of the Office of Community Initiatives and Complex Care at SIU SOM and the director of population health integration at SIU Medicine's Department of Family and Community Medicine.