From the Office on Mental Health/Core Service Agency of Harford County:
Service delivery by Alliance, Inc. designed to reduce recidivism
Harford County Detention Center inmates who have a history of sexual or physical abuse, mental illness and/or substance abuse will now have access to licensed mental health professionals and a forensic case manager in the Detention Center’s medical unit. The Trauma, Addictions, Mental Health, and Recovery (TAMAR) Project, funded by the Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration (MHA) through a grant awarded by Harford County’s Office on Mental Health/Core Service Agency to Alliance, Inc., will support these important services.
“For more than 10 years, MHA has recognized the destructive role that trauma plays on individuals and has worked to reduce negative outcomes through education, treatment and case management,” states Darren McGregor, MHA’s Statewide TAMAR Director. “MHA is looking forward to expanding these very important services in Harford County.”
During incarceration, Alliance, Inc. will provide in-depth screening and assessments, twice-weekly group sessions and develop an aftercare plan. The detailed aftercare plan is put into effect immediately upon an individual’s release from the detention center. The mental health team will maintain ongoing communication with the individual. The plan also includes community referrals, applications for appropriate public health benefits, and vocational services. The team will also coordinate and communicate with detention center staff, the court system and parole and probation representatives, as needed, to ensure wrap-around supports for success.
“TAMAR services reduce recidivism and the need for other higher levels of care,” said Mona Figueroa, the Acting Director of the Harford County Office on Mental Health, which is located in Bel Air. “Intensive follow-up after release will also support individuals as they rebuild their lives.”
Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane sees the project as a vital step in reducing the number of repeat offenders: “We are pleased to welcome Alliance as our partner as we seek treatment for those with mental health issues/addictions who continually return to our detention center. Providing services to this population during incarceration and once they are released from confinement will serve to reduce our recidivism rate. This is a win/win for everyone – the inmate, corrections, the community and the taxpayers of Harford County.”
The Office on Mental Health/Core Service Agency develops and monitors mental health services for individuals who live in Harford County. The office is a non-profit agency that is funded by the Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration.
Alliance, Inc., a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, provides community-based services to individuals with disabilities. With headquarters in Dundalk, Md. and locations throughout central Maryland, Alliance’s has served the Baltimore community for more than 25 years.
The Harford County Detention Center and its service providers are soon to face a lawsuit for the wrongful injury of hundreds of inmates prescribed the drug Celexa. Celexa, a common SSRI, has been found to cause Heart Damage and Heart Palpatations, has been prescribed to many inmates of the Harford County Detention Center. The drug has been prescribed due to the misdiagnosisis of bi-polar disorder in many inmates that show symptoms of anger, depression and anxiety. An alarming number of former inmates have developed chest pains and irregular heartbeats after being forced to use this drug instead of safer SSRIs during their incarceration at the Harford County Detention Center. A Class-Action Lawsuit is currently being prepared to provide former inmates a monetary solution for their medical services due to the irreversible damage to the patients health during their confinement.