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2019 Annual Report

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2019 Annual Report 2019 ANNUAL REPORT Mental Health & Jail Diversion 1 “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each THANKmember is the team.” YOU FOR YOUR- Phil Jackson TIME CONTACT US: 7014 Broad Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90008 +622 875 4479 [email protected] www.inspirasign.com 2 Contents Quality of Life Teams Homeless Outreach Team 12 Graffiti Abatement 19 Nuisance Abatement 21 Crisis Intervention Response Team 24 Telehealth 28 Investigations 44 Jail Diversion Center 48 Sheriffs’ Conference 59 Project Lifesaver 63 Training 67 Harvard University Government Performance Lab Fellow 73 Behavioral Threat Management Unit 76 Re-entry Center 78 Awards 81 Mental Health Data 85 ON THE COVER: Deputy Jose Gomez was one of the CORE telehealth deputies in phases 1 & 2. He coordinated phase 3 with Deputy Megan Herrin. Jose was instrumental to the success of the program. (Photo by Sharon Steinmann, HCSO) Acknowledgement Printing made possible with the generous support of the Tom and Carolyn Hamilton Foundation and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Foundation. 4 Collaboration “Our innovative mental health and jail diversion programs are models for the state and the nation. They are the result of the strong collaboration that exists between the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the community. These programs are examples of community policing and what can be accomplished when we work Sheriff Ed Gonzalez together.” 5 Dedication “I am very proud of our members working on our model mental health and jail diversion programs. Their dedication, passion, and innovation are clearly reflected in this impressive and comprehensive Chief Deputy Edison Toquica annual report.” 6 Inspiration “This past year has been one of great progress and accomplishment on many fronts. The following pages are examples. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is poised for continued success due to the dedicated and inspired members of our bureau and the partnerships we have formed in our community. I look forward to another year of providing a safe, humane, and professional response to individuals with mental illness, cognitive disabilities, and to the homeless.” Major Mike Lee 7 A $300,000 grant from Arnold Ventures to Development of the agency’s first ever Behavioral evaluate our CORE telehealth program. We are Threat Management Unit, a specialized unit for the one of a few law enforcement agencies in the investigation and management of domestic nation with a telehealth program for patrol and violence and stalking incidents. the first of its type to be formally evaluated. Selected to host the second annual Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Sheriffs’ The training of 417 detention personnel and 447 Conference. We were selected because of our classified personnel in the 40-hour mental health model mental health and jail diversion programs. class. Development of an Implementation Guide for law Implementation of Project Lifesaver. This is a enforcement agencies interested in starting a program that provides law enforcement the ability telehealth program for patrol. We believe this is to quickly locate individuals with cognitive the first and only guide of its type in the nation. disorders who are prone to wandering. Successful completion of the first year of the The expansion, by 50%, of the Homeless Outreach Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Diversion Center. Team (HOT). This expansion allows HOT to This is the only center of its type in the nation. address homelessness in two additional patrol Criminal justice, behavioral health, and political districts. personnel from across the nation have visited. Social Media Major Lee started a Twitter account for his bureau early this year. Each of his captains have also started an account. A Mental Health and Jail Diversion account was started in December 2017. That was the first account in the agency other than Sheriff Gonzalez’s personal account and the official agency account. 9 The Team The annual report team consists of Sharon Steinmann, Multimedia Specialist; Carlos Rangel, Digital Graphics Coordinator; and Frank Webb, Project Manager. Sharon provides photographs. Carlos provides photographic and graphic assistance. Frank provides writing, Sharon Steinmann Carlos Rangel Frank Webb layout, and design. 10 11 12 About Us The Harris County Sheriff’s Office implemented a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) in November 2015 with two deputies. Under Sheriff Gonzalez, HOT has tripled to six deputies and one sergeant. Three two- deputy teams address homelessness in three patrol districts. The goal is to increase the team by four deputies so all five patrol districts will have a two-deputy team. 13 Group Photo Previous Page (Front row left to right) Deputies Gregory Temple, Jason Dean and Tracey Thomas; (Middle row left to right) Deputies James Kelley and Ashley Schubert, Lieutenant Donald Wine; (Back row left to right) Deputy Timothy Craze and Sergeant John Whitley. Opioid Education HOT deputies and HCSO medical staff educating the homeless about opioid overdose. The staff also handed out lifesaving Narcan kits to be used on those overdosing on opioids. 15 Code Enforcement The HCSO HOT collaborates with public and private entities focusing on outreach programs to locate, engage, and assist homeless persons with housing, health care, and nutrition needs. HOT also responds to the concerns of the citizens of Harris County. These citizen concerns include trespassing, loitering, soliciting in the roadways, and illegal encampments by homeless persons. Many homeless suffer from mental illness and/or substance abuse. All efforts are made to divert these individuals who have committed low-level, non-violent crimes from jail into mental health treatment. 16 New Pickup Truck Donation of a fully equipped Ford F250 made possible with the continuing generous support of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Foundation. New Office HOT moved into a new office in the Hope Center in November 2019. HOT Performance Contacts Phone HOT had 1453 contacts HOT had phone with homeless individuals consultations with 216 in 2019 homeless individuals Veterans Housed HOT responded to 47 HOT found housing for veterans in 2019 125 individuals Personnel HOT had a 50% Aid Items HOT provided 1051 aid increase in personnel in items (blankets, coats, 2019, from three deputies food, water, sanitary to six items, etc.) 18 Graffiti Abatement About The Graffiti Abatement Program is a free service for citizens and businesses in the unincorporated areas of Harris County. The program removes unwanted graffiti which is often perpetrated by gang members who want to mark their territory or send a message to Deputy Rick Medina another gang. The program is coordinated by Deputy Rick Medina. 19 Graffiti Abatement Before Before After After 20 Nuisance Abatement About Us The Nuisance Abatement Unit responds to all nuisance complaints and takes appropriate action, including referring to Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services or the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Abandoned vehicles, junked vehicles in private property, and abandoned structures are the most common complaints. Deputies Kimberly Snyder & Brian Raven 21 Nuisance Abatement These pictures are of a mechanic shop in District 2 (Aldine area) that was storing junked vehicles in the county right-of-way. These pictures are typical of common complaints received by the unit. Before Before Before After 22 Nuisance Abatement These pictures are of a another mechanic/body shop in District 2 that was storing junked vehicles in the county right-of-way. All vehicles were stickered and the owner removed them. Before Before Before After 23 Crisis INTERVENTION RESPONSE TEAM 24 About Us • Implemented in September 2011 • Co-responder program • Respond to the most serious calls involving individuals in serious mental health crisis • Perform proactive and follow-up investigations • Assist other local law enforcement agencies 25 CIRT TRAINING Project Name Project Name Client name Client name CIRT personnel attending a quarterly training with members of the CIRT personnel addressing patrol roll calls discussing issues regarding Houston Police Department Mental Health Division. responding to individuals with mental illness. GROUP PHOTO PREVIOUS PAGE: (Front row left to right) Sergeant Kelly Hudson, Lieutenant Donald Wine, Sergeant Willie Hodge; (Middle row left to right) Deputies Amber Lewis, Lakiska Cheatham, Robert Hood, Aaron Brown, and Raymundo Mora; (Back row left to right) Deputies Donald Hess, Fred Lerma, Lorenzo Negrete, and Robert Ellis. 26 CIRT Activity 2019 Jail Calls for Evaluations Diversions Service 1209 4430 emergency 242 detentions 27 28 Deputy Rigoberto Cortez A person in mental health crisis is talking with a clinician via an iPad in the back seat of Deputy Cortez’s patrol car 29 The Pilot The HCSO completed the third and final phase of its telehealth pilot in December 2019. The program, titled Clinician and Officer Remote Evaluation (CORE), connects a patrol deputy, via an iPad, with a masters- level clinician from The Harris Center for Mental Health on calls involving individuals in mental health crisis. During phase three, 20 patrol deputies were equipped with an iPad. The HCSO also started work on a pilot telehealth program for the jail. Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States, awarded a $300,000 grant to the University of Houston Downtown to evaluate phase three. Pictured: A person who recently moved to Houston from Louisiana was experiencing
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