Bucks County mental health center delayed after plans change
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A change in building plans has delayed plans to open a new forensic mental health treatment facility at the Bucks County Corrections Center until late next year.
But a temporary center for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis that puts them at risk for arrest could open in late summer, county officials said.
The proposed 28-bed Forensic Diversion, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center is part of a wider partnership between the county criminal justice and behavioral health systems to divert offenders into court-supervised programs.
County officials initially expected the center would open this year inside the soon-to-be-closed women’s jail, but consultants determined the building’s age and layout was not conducive to the planned programing, said county spokesman James O’Malley.
Instead, the county plans to demolish the existing building and construct a new one on its footprint but roughly 1,400 square feet larger, O’Malley said.
New construction will increase capacity, allowing for the addition of four more short-term beds for a total of eight, said Donna Duffy Bell, administrator for the county’s department of behavioral and developmental programs.
Final cost estimates for the proposed forensic facility have not been completed, and the county commissioners have not voted on the proposed plan to replace the existing building with a new one.
But the county is moving forward with its plans for the center. It recently applied for a demolition permit from Doylestown Township and anticipates it will consider bids for the project over the summer with construction starting later this year, O’Malley said.
Construction of the new building could take at least 12 months depending on the supply chain.
During construction, the county plans to operate a short-term observation unit in a temporary modular structure near the new center, O’Malley said. The temporary unit is anticipated to open before the end of this year.
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The new center would function as a re-entry resource for individuals released from the jail or psychiatric hospitals, and county mental health court defendants, to provide community-based services to prevent incarceration.
It would have three units:
- The Short Term Observation Unit is designed to provide a safe, time-limited, transitional placement opportunity for individuals involved in the criminal justice system who are also experiencing challenges with mental health or co-occurring mental health/substance use disorders.
- The Restoration to Competency Unit would serve up to four individuals involved in the court system who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial. Currently these individuals are treated at Norristown State Psychiatric Hospital in Montgomery County.
- The Residential Treatment Facility for Adults will serve as transitional housing for up to 16 Bucks and Montgomery County residents involved in the criminal justice system who are also experiencing mental health disorders, to help reintegrate them into the community.
The project is being funded with Bucks County Behavioral Health and Development Programs reinvestment and American Rescue Act funds, O’Malley said.
Last year, the county approved a $406,000 contract for design work on the center and almost $4.3 million to Geo Reentry Inc. of Boca Raton, Florida, who will operate it.
Geo Reentry, which is also acting as a project consultant, describes itself as providing programs and services to reduce recidivism by focusing on higher-risk offenders, targeting factors that contribute to criminal behavior, and using cognitive behavioral treatment.
Traditional court processes and incarceration are shown to be ineffective in changing the outcomes for offenders with serious, persistent and untreated mental illness, mental health experts say. Incarceration exacerbates symptoms, disrupts treatment regimens, and contributes to victimization and suicide, they contend.
In recent years several high profile, local criminal cases have involved offenders with histories of serious mental illness who allegedly committed crimes while actively showing symptoms of mental illness.
Last year alone an average of 83 inmates a month incarcerated in Bucks County’s jail — roughly 12% of the average inmate population — were diagnosed with a disorder that is considered serious and continuing mental illness. The number does not reflect inmates experiencing mental health crises as a result of incarceration.
Earlier this year, Bucks County launched its weekly Mental Health Court, a diversion program that keeps people with seriously mental illness out of the court system. The county is one of 25 in Pennsylvania operating a mental health court.
Research suggests mental health diversion programs benefit the criminal justice system by moving cases faster through the judicial system. It also provides individuals a pathway for treatment and recovery and reduces recidivism.
Bucks County Commissioner Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia has projected the county could see an 85% drop in jail admissions for defendants in need of mental health services through the forensic center and mental health court alone.
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