By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Sheriff Darrian Campbell is pleased that Reno County is continuing to work toward better treatment of the people it comes across suffering from mental illness.
"Back in 2018, Sheriff Henderson along with the United Way, partnered with Horizons and they began an initiative which is called Stepping Up," Campbell said. "The Stepping Up initiative helps identify serious mental illness with those that are coming in to the facility. It's been identified across the United States that about 75% of the people that come through the facility do have some sort of mental illness or substance use disorder."
A proclamation scheduled to be signed by the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday marks the achievement of the county over the past couple of years.
"This proclamation is actually an acceptance from the National Association of Counties identifying Reno County as being an Innovator County."
Innovator Counties are implementing Stepping Up’s recommended three-step approach to establish a shared definition of SMI for Stepping Up efforts that is used throughout local criminal justice and behavioral health systems, use a validated mental health screening tool on every person booked into the jail and refer people who screen positive for symptoms of SMI to a follow-up clinical assessment by a licensed mental health professional and record clinical assessment results and regularly report on this population.
"As of last year, we actually have a Case Manager that got brought on full time, a mental health therapist that was brought in to the facility. She helps identify and help in the Stepping Up program," Campbell said.
More than 500 counties across the country have passed a resolution or proclamation committing to join the initiative.