Briefs: County and State Assist on Mental Health Front For Inmates and Students

Mental Health Care Beds Coming to Twin Towers for Inmates with Mental Illness

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors May 16 unanimously approved a motion that will create a special unit at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility to care for acutely mentally ill inmates. 

Data provided by Correctional Health Services reports there are about 6,800 inmates housed in L.A. County’s correctional facilities participating in jail mental health programs. Approximately 12% of those individuals are acutely mentally ill. On average, 40 or more acutely mentally ill inmates are booked on a daily basis.

The maximum capacity of the forthcoming jail inpatient unit will be 16 beds due to state limits, but it may be expanded in the future if approved by California Correctional Health Care Services and the county’s mental health director.

In October 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved $13M to fund a series of initiatives to expand the county’s medication assisted treatment program throughout its jails and the conversion of Pitchess Detention Center North to moderate observation housing. The initiatives were part of the county’s plan to address compliance with the Department of Justice’s settlement agreement.

California Awards $23.3 M for Students to Become Substance Use Disorder Counselors 

SACRAMENTO — California May 17 awarded $23.3 million in grants for a new program designed to support students who want to become substance use disorder or SUD counselors with paid on-the-job training. The SUD Earn and Learn program provides students with specialized education in addiction treatment and counseling, and hands-on experience working with clients in a supervised setting.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said with this program, the state is preparing its future workforce to treat and care for people suffering from substance use disorders with empathy and compassion.

The SUD Earn and Learn program, administered by the Department of Health Care Access and Information or HCAI will use the earn and learn concept to provide students with funds so they do not have to get multiple jobs just to afford basic needs while pursuing a career that will benefit the state’s communities.

“Through this program, students will have the opportunity to work with real clients and to apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in a real-world setting,” said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “This will not only help students to become better counselors, but it will also provide them with a unique perspective on the challenges and rewards of working in this field.”

With a growing demand for SUD services and an ongoing workforce crisis, this program breaks down the barriers to entry that make it difficult for an individual to become a certified SUD counselor. The program also allows providers to offer paid time for schooling activities, cover costs of certification incentive programs for educational instructors and SUD experience mentors, and offer career placement bonuses.