County jail caring for mental health patient
Full beds, classification prohibit area facilities from admittance
Posted: 3/23/04
By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter
The Houston County jail was put in the unusual position of caring for a person needing mental health care last week.
On Friday, March 12, one of the countyís inmates began displaying ìwildî behavior due to mental illness. However, because area institutions were not able to take him, the jail was left with the responsibility of caring for him.
Human Services Director Beth Wilms told commissioners at the human services meeting, Tuesday, March 16, that the individual was heavily sedated and monitored by the jailers.
A mental health commitment hearing was held on Thursday, March 18, where it was determined that he be placed at St. Peter Regional Treatment Center to be evaluated.
Wilms said she was told that St. Peter may release someone who is close to being stabilized to open up a bed for the individual. ìThe conundrum is, ëWhat if nobody was ready to go? Where would he go?íî said Wilms.
Usually the county sends its mental commitments to St. Peter, but they were unable to take him that day because there were no beds available. Wilms suggested this may be due to the changes the state is going through in how it handles its mental health commitments.
The state has made it a goal to develop an effective community based mental health system, which means placing the mentally ill closer to their communities, families and friends. Eventually, this will mean there will be less of a need to have more beds available in mental health institutions.
However, Rod Kornrumpf, regional administrator for Minnesota state operated services, said that the state cannot downsize its services until the community based services have been developed and are proven to be effective. In fact, there were 37 fewer beds being used in mental health institutions in Minnesota in February 2004 than on average in 2003. However, these beds were still available to be used if necessary. Kornrumpf stated that the situation at the Houston County jail had nothing to do with its restructuring plans.
ìOn any given day, the beds can be full,î he explained.
Wilms noted, ìThe jail employees are not trained to handle someone who is mentally ill and violent.î
Jail administrator Mark Schiltz said the inmate was in his own cell block at the time of the incident, but his behavior required that he be locked down. The inmate did not harm himself, but caused a disturbance by yelling and screaming.
A psychiatrist from Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center prescribed some medication so that the inmate would become manageable.
Wilms described the individual as very ill. ìHe does wonderfully for a period of time. Heís been committed before,î she said.
In this situation, St. Maryís Hospital in Winona released the individual a few weeks before he committed an assault. He was then placed in the Houston County Jail where his condition deteriorated. It is unclear if the assault was related to his mental condition, or why his condition regressed after being released, said Wilms.
Schiltz said theyíre handled the situation the best they could. It is the first time the jail has had to keep an individual who needed to be committed to an institution.
Commissioners requested that a letter be sent to some of the legislators describing the scenario and asking what should be done in this situation.
They also asked that the letter be sent to a list of representatives.
Commissioner Kevin Kelleher said, ìThey should be made aware of it. Itís just ridiculous to have someone that mentally ill. Have they cleared space for him? Even a new jail wouldnít be equipped to handle this.î
Wilms predicted this will be only the beginning of the problems if the state goes through with its plan to shut down many of the Rule 36 facilities, which is where an individual who has been committed, goes to after they have been stabilized. The facilities may also be used for the severely and persistently mentally ill. There are currently five Houston County individuals who use these facilities, which are referred to as ìstep-downî or 3/4 houses. ìThey are a nice transition place,î explained Wilms.
Wilms said the state passed legislation last year to eliminate many and downsize some Rule 36 facilities. It has been suggested that an eight-bed, ìSuper 36î facility be set aside for use by Houston, Fillmore and Winona Counties. That would not be enough beds to meet those counties currents needs, said Wilms, which is why they are still meeting with the Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center on this matter. The implementation of this has been delayed from July 2004 until January 2005.
Another piece of legislation that may affect the amount of beds available for individuals needing mental health commitments is the proposal that St. Peter be used as a sex offender treatment center. It would have a reduced amount of beds available for mental health commitments because the majority of space would be used for the sex offender treatment center. ìIt leaves us without a place for people who are committed,î said Wilms.
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