Report 2020-103 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2020-103: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: It Has Poorly Administered the Integrated Services for Mentally Ill Parolees Program, and With Current Funding Cuts, It Must Find Ways to Transition Parolees to County Services (Release Date: August 2020)

Recommendation #3 To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To increase public safety and reduce the likelihood of recidivism, Corrections should create a regular forum for subject-matter experts to share information regarding their respective efforts to smoothly transition current program participants to county services and to develop processes for future parolees with mental illness and issues with homelessness who will transition to county services. Corrections should include its staff from the eight counties in which the integrated services program will no longer operate, including staff in the institutions, such as mental health clinicians and staff involved in prerelease planning, parole agents, and parole outpatient clinical staff. Corrections should also include the providers currently under contract, county services staff, and others as necessary. The forums should offer Corrections' staff the opportunity to receive updated training as necessary, and Corrections should begin hosting these forums by October 2020.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Discussion on this recommendation initiated with the eight counties during ongoing conversations that occur in relation to the CSA recommendation described in item #2 of this CAP. Internal planning pending to identify CDCR participants and scope of forum.

2022 Update: Recurring meetings between DAPO and counties ended in 2022, and CDCR/CCHCS and counties are focused on implementing DHCS' CalAIM 90-day pre-release services starting on July 1, 2023. In the interim, ISMIP-like individuals releasing from prison may be referred to ECM and CS services that are currently offered in the community by the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans to individuals with serious mental illness(es) and substance use disorder(s), including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Supporting documentation will be provided per CSA's direction.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The Department's response remains the same.

Previous Update: CDCR and CCHCS staff have reoccurring meetings with several counties and their invited contractual partners for discussion and development of pre-release and post-release referral processes, problem solving, and case conferencing. The county meetings are independent of each other. Development of a formal reoccurring forum inclusive of more than one county has not yet been developed.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

1-Year Agency Response

Discussion on this recommendation initiated with the eight counties during ongoing conversations that occur in relation to the CSA recommendation described in item #2 of this CAP. Internal planning pending to identify CDCR participants and scope of forum.

1-Year CAP Update: CDCR and CCHCS staff have reoccurring meetings with several counties and their invited contractual partners for discussion and development of pre-release and post-release referral processes, problem solving, and case conferencing. The county meetings are independent of each other. Development of a formal reoccurring forum inclusive of more than one county has not yet been developed.

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

6-Month Agency Response

Engagement with the eight counties to develop service connections and referral processes is ongoing. This includes discussions on current referrals and issues/concerns that arise. On a related, parallel track, CCHCS, CDCR, and the Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health (CCJBH) are working together on various components of transition planning for the broader behavioral health continuum of care.

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

It is not clear from Corrections' response that it has taken the steps we recommended, which include establishing a forum, such as a periodic teleconference, in which relevant parties share information about transitioning ISMIP participants to county based services. Based on Corrections' response to the audit, we believe it is committed to implementing the recommendations we made and that future status reports on this recommendation will reflect its progress in implementing this recommendation.

60-Day Agency Response

Discussion on this recommendation initiated with the eight counties during ongoing conversations that occur in relation to the California State Auditor (CSA) recommendation described in item #2 of this CAP. Internal planning pending to identify CDCR participants and scope of forum.

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

All Recommendations in 2020-103

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.