FACT teams to help former inmates battling mental illness
LOOK AT THAT IN JUST A LITTLE
BIT. ELIZABETH, THANKS,
FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE
SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS
NOW HAVE A NEW RESOURCE FOR
HELP. IT'S AN INITIATIVE CALLED
FACT WHICH STANDS FOR.
>> FORENSIC ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY
TREATMENT TEAMS. WRL'S CAN.
SMITH IS HERE NOW WITH HOW THIS
NEW PROGRAM WORKS. CAN'T THE
GOAL OF THESE FACT TEAMS IS TO
HELP FORMERLY INCARCERATED
PEOPLE COPE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
AND TRY TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING
BACK TO PRISON DURING A NEWS
CONFERENCE THIS MORNING, KELLY
COST THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE
DIVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH, LAID
OUT THE PROFILE OF FORMERLY
INCARCERATED PEOPLE. NOW THAT
PROFILE INCLUDES SUBSTANCE,
USE ISSUES A HISTORY OF
RECIDIVISM, INABILITY TO KEEP
APPOINTMENTS WITH THE BASIN
OFFICES, FREQUENT CONTACT WITH
FIRST RESPONDERS.
>> AND OF COURSE, SERIOUS
MENTAL ILLNESS. THAT'S WHY
INITIATIVE, LIKE FACT, WAS
CREATED TO MEET FORMALLY
INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHERE THEY
ARE AND HELP THEM NAVIGATE
THEIR POST-PRISON JOURNEY.
>> WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS.
YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT NEED
US THE MOST AREN'T ALWAYS AWARE
OF THAT WITH ILLNESSES LIKE
SCHIZOPHRENIA OR BIPOLAR.
MANY OF OUR PATIENTS DON'T HAVE
INSIGHT THAT THEY'RE ILL AT
ALL. AND 80% OF THE TIME WHEN
THEY COME IN THE HOSPITAL,
SOMETIMES 90% OF TIME. THEY'RE
NOT COMPLIANT WITH THE
MEDICATIONS. THEY DON'T BELIEVE
THEY NEED THEM.
>> WELL, THE FACT TEAMS WOULD
BE ASSEMBLED RIGHT NOW. THEY
WILL LAUNCH OF THE END OF THE
YEAR BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR AND
ALSO TOWARD THE END OF NEXT
YEAR. THE GOAL IS TO ASSIST THE
PROGRAM TO SEE HOW IT'S
WORKING. THE FIRST LADY ANNA
STEIN AND OTHERS WITH THE STATE
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DIVISION MADE THE POINT FACT IS
YET ANOTHER RESOURCE AMONG
DOZENS OF OTHERS THAT WILL GIVE