Policy Day: Part 3

Mental health is up next! Oregon is 51st in the country for access to mental health. We are dead last guys. And you see it every day. Our prisons are the largest mental health providers in the state and NORCOR is the largest in our county. Is it any wonder we have problems? But what do we do?

- Mental Health Court

- Resolution Center

- Mental health conditions on probation

- Wrap around services for victims

That's obviously a very short answer for a very complicated problem. We can't, absolutely are constitutionaly forbidden from, prosecute people that are profoundly mentally ill. We are required to wait until they can understand the nature of the charges against them and effectively communicate with counsel. That's the standard that is required by law. No DA anywhere in the state can change that.

So what do we do? The first thing I did was take my own time and thousands of my own dollars to get a masters of psychology so I knew what the heck I was doing. I put my money where my mouth was and graduated with a 3.96. That was my first step.

While at the Wasco County District Atttorney's Office, I helped start a mental health court. I supported the amazing work of Sheriff Magill that he has been doing in opening a resolution center in Wasco County. In Gilliam County, Sheriff Bettencourt and I are working on a deflection program to address those same problems.

I also think it's very important to address the domestic violence crimes and crimes against children. If you do not help the children - you WILL be seeing them as offenders in the future. You must have a strong MDT (multi-disciplinary team) and work with your community partners or the children you see today will show up again in the future. I run both the Wasco and Gilliam County MDTs. And I am PROUD to report we are very thorough compared to other counties.

Training, training, training. If you don't know what you are looking at or how to handle it - you can't solve the problem.