[Lake County] Grand Jury: County’s Behavioral Health Services assessed

Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of articles recapping the findings and recommendations presented by this year’s Grand Jury report to the county and its various agencies.

LAKE COUNTY— The 2019-2020 Grand Jury, in its report released earlier this month, concluded that some citizen complaints brought to it during their year long investigation of Lake County’s Behavioral Health Services, though meritorious at the time they were made, have already been resolved and also found that the department is unable to recruit as many qualified professionals as it needs, or may be required to have, and has therefore terminated some services to patients.

The watchdog jury also found that Lake County has decided against establishing a Mental Health Court because BHS has been supervising criminal defendants in a new mental health diversion program since last year, among other findings.

The Grand Jury also made numerous recommendations in a segment of this year’s report entitled, “Finding News Solutions to old Problems: County Behavioral Health Services” including suggesting that BHS continue to monitor and evaluate whether it is in danger of incurring future Mental Health Services Act (MHAS) reversion charges and take all steps “to avoid another problem.”

The problematic incident referred to in the report was a complaint that BHS was said to owe the state an estimated $700,000. In the course of doing its work, the Grand Jury discovered yet another state charge that threatened the loss of roughly half of its state funding if BHS did not hire two psychiatrists required by federal law.

Another complaint was that the agency refused to evaluate mentally ill criminal defendants in the county jail resulting in defendants having to remain in the jail for months. It was suggested by the party or parties making the complaint that the county establish a Mental Health Court which the report describes as “a form of collaborative court that provides services and treatment to defendants dealing with mental illness.”

The Grand Jury concluded that both complaints had been resolved to its satisfaction given that BHS has been evaluating the inmates and since BHS had repaid (reverted) the MSHA funding it owed the state. These funds totaling $711,805.42 were not spent on a timely fashion and therefore returned.

In investigating these issues, the Grand Jury interviewed managers at both BHS and the Lake County jail, as well as other county employees and private individuals in addition to reviewing government documents and various legal issues.

Overall, the report notes, jurors were impressed by BHS’ management, services and plans and concluded that BHS is not responsible for delayed release of criminal defendants from the jail.

Pursuant to Penal Code sec. 933 (c) responses from the Board of Supervisors and BHS are leagally required within 90 days of the Grand Jury releasing its report.

Lake County Record-Bee
By ARIEL CARMONA
July 18, 2020