Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds room for improvement at jail, juvenile hall, Sempervirens

From a Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury release:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury is releasing the fifth in a series of eight investigative reports on County government and services.

This report takes an extensive look at County inmate facilities, including the Correctional Facility, Sempervirens Psychiatric Facility, and Juvenile Hall. The report pays particular attention to the state of physical amenities like old buildings, the state of construction of new facilities, and needed improvements.

Humboldt County Correctional Facility

·       Difficulty attaining/retaining sufficient number of mental health staff
·       Need for Competency Restoration Program
·       Possible expansion of private contractors for mental health services

Humboldt County Juvenile Hall

·       Attaining trained and certified Substance Use Disorder counselors
·       Closure of the Northern California Regional Center

Sempervirens Psychiatric Health Facility

·       Located in a facility that is outdated and not conducive to mental health  restoration
·       Need to increase the hours of Mental Health Crisis Intervention Teams
·       Adoption of Laura’s Law to provide additional treatment options for some  patients
·       Need to provide more step-down housing for patients leaving some   facilities

Eureka Times-Standard
June 18, 2020