San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus announced the launch of the Mental Health Unit expansion at Maguire Correctional Facility, located in Redwood City.
The Mental Health Unit ?BHU, for its acronym in English? is a collaboration between the Sheriff's Office and Correctional Health Services designed to improve and expand mental health treatment for incarcerated individuals.
Similarly, the Unit seeks to improve mental health treatment programs in prisons and connect serving individuals with mental health service providers in the community for post-release support.
“This is an important step forward in reducing recidivism in San Mateo County,” said Sheriff Corpus.
Correctional Health Services ?CHS? and sheriff's staff work together to engage each incarcerated person and help residents acclimate to the BHU.
Through a statement, the sheriff specified that the Unit will offer educational programs, more leisure and out-of-cell time, and evidence-based clinical programs to treat serious mental illnesses.
In turn, he added that residents who previously could not function successfully in a group setting will have more opportunities to socialize, integrate and receive clinical and programmatic support.
Similarly, Corpus noted that CHS and the Sheriff's Office are also working closely with San Mateo County Mental Health and Recovery Services and community partners to design comprehensive release plans for each participant.
The BHU currently serves 40 incarcerated people, but the program is designed to expand.
"Correctional Health Services is thrilled to partner with the Sheriff's Office to provide a more therapeutic environment for people with serious mental illness," said Correctional Health Services Director Mike del Rosario.
"This collaboration will have a significant impact on the lives of our population and will benefit the entire community," he added.
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