Report 2016-131 Recommendation 22 Responses

Report 2016-131: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: It Must Increase Its Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Inmate Suicides (Release Date: August 2017)

Recommendation #22 To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To ensure that all its prisons provide inmates with effective mental health care, Corrections should continue to take a role in coordinating and disseminating best practices related to mental health treatment by conducting a best practices summit at least annually. The summits should focus on all aspects of suicide prevention and response, including programs that seek to improve inmate mental health and treatment of and response to suicide attempts. Corrections should document and disseminate this information among the prisons, assist prisons in implementing the best practices through training and communication when needed, and monitor and report publicly on the successes and challenges of adopted practices.

1-Year Agency Response

1. A Suicide Prevention Summit was held 10/17-19, 2017. The next Summit is scheduled for 9/18-20, 2018. Minutes will be maintained and disseminated following the meeting.

2. Quarterly SPRFIT teleconferences continue to be held. Minutes will be kept and disseminated following the teleconferences.

3. Monthly suicide prevention videoconferences continue to be held. Slides are disseminated prior to the videoconference.

4. The Chief of Mental Health, Statewide Nursing, and Warden's meetings continue to be held. Agendas, handouts, power point presentations, and/or talking points will be distributed to attendees.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented


6-Month Agency Response

1. A Suicide Prevention Summit was held for 10/17-19, 2017. The next Summit is scheduled for September, 2018. Minutes will be maintained and disseminated following the meeting.

2. Quarterly SPRFIT teleconferences continue to be held. Minutes will be kept and disseminated following the teleconferences.

3. Monthly suicide prevention videoconferences continue to be held. Slides are disseminated prior to the videoconference.

4. The Chief of Mental Health, Statewide Nursing, and Warden's meetings continue to be held. Agendas, handouts, power point presentations, and/or talking points will be distributed to attendees.

Copies of agendas, Power Points, Talking Points, and minutes will be provided once complete.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending


60-Day Agency Response

1. The next Suicide Prevention Summit is scheduled for 10/17-19, 2017. Minutes will be maintained and disseminated following the meeting.

2. Quarterly SPRFIT teleconferences continue to be held. Minutes will be kept and disseminated following the teleconferences.

3. Monthly suicide prevention videoconferences continue to be held. Statewide Mental Health is working to develop a system to record these videoconferences to distribute to all staff. Slides are disseminated prior to the videoconference.

4. The Chief of Mental Health, Statewide Nursing, and Warden's meetings continue to be held. Agendas, handouts, power point presentations, and/or talking points will be distributed to attendees.

Copies of agendas, Power Points, Talking Points, and minutes will be provided once complete.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending


All Recommendations in 2016-131

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.