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Coronavirus: In criminal justice, 'cabin fever' taxes mental health resources

Observer-Dispatch - 4/10/2020

Courtrooms are empty. Social workers are conducting interventions over the phone. Check-ins for rehab programs now include temperature checks and screenings.

Programs in Oneida County designed to keep the mentally ill out of jail have had to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, even as more people report mental distress in this period of social distancing.

To combat the spread of the coronavirus, court appearances in New York were suspended except under certain conditions March 15. Meetings for rehabilitative programs, such as the Utica Mental Health Hub Court, were suspended as well.

Both the state and county have created mental health hotlines. The Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (or MCAT) has continued to run theirs.

Those calling in have fears of getting sick, financial stress or are feeling the negative effects of social isolation, Director Kristen Sauerbier said. MCAT is already seeing increases of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

For those struggling with addiction, isolation may lead to negative coping mechanisms, she said.

"We were dealing with a substance abuse epidemic when this pandemic arrived," said Jeremy Klemanski, president and CEO of Helio Health. Helio Health operates the addiction treatment center Insight House.

Patients are now being screened at the door.

Mental health court

Utica's mental health court offers a chance for those who plead guilty to a crime to have their charges dropped if they complete the program.

The county-wide program was created as an alternative to jail time for those with a diagnosed mental illness.

"When I got here to court, I found that we had a pretty significant number of people who were in court because of -- at least to some degree -- because of a mental health problem that was leading them to behavior that was criminal," said city court Judge Ralph Eannace, who helped found, and now oversees, the program.

A 2018 study by Hamilton College found the court had a 19 percent recidivism rate, compared to the national average rate of 54 percent for mentally ill offenders who receive little or no treatment.

Participants would meet regularly at city court with Eannace, who would ask participants about their progress. These conversations sometimes broached any people they associate with and potential triggers for a relapse. They also discussed individual goals, which they pursue alongside a caseworker, he said.

Much of this has changed since the coronavirus pandemic.

With most court activities suspended, Eannace now works out of the county court building. He only occasionally sees someone in person.

Instead, caseworkers contact participants at least once a week, he said, usually over the phone.

"We're trying to get away from face-to-face contact as much as we can," said Utica police Sgt. Ashley Berger, who serves as a mental health court liaison.

MCAT

The Mobile Crisis Assessment Team, operated by the Neighborhood Center in Utica, offers intervention services that range from a crisis hotline to accompanying law enforcement to an incident.

Studies suggest crisis intervention teams lower arrests of persons with mental illnesses. Sauerbier described their program as proactive, and a way to offer support for anyone having a mental health crisis.

In-person interventions are now reserved only to the most extreme cases, said Sauerbier.

The program also has counselors and peer advocates -- those who have struggled with mental health and addiction themselves -- meet with clients. Most interactions now occur over the phone or video chat, Sauerbier said.

"Of course it's not the same as sitting next to someone at a kitchen table," she said. "But I would say videoconference is the next best thing."

Mark Lundquist, a social worker for MCAT, now works from home. While he still receives calls from those with mental health diagnoses, people who would have never spoken to him before are now calling.

People at home are consuming news about the virus throughout the day have spikes in anxiety. Those with young children at home are "dealing with cabin fever," he said.

But these same stressors also exacerbating those with chronic mental illnesses, he said.

"Unfortunately, this drastically affects people's mental health for a lot of reasons," Sauerbier said.

Contact reporter H. Rose Schneider at 315-792-5013 or follow her on Twitter (@OD_Schneider).

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