NCJ Number
207499
Date Published
September 2002
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the APIC model for jail transition to the community, designed for jail inmates with co-occurring disorders.
Abstract
Jails have a constitutional obligation to provide minimum psychiatric care. Because of the nature of the jail inmate population holding individuals for both detention and short-term imprisonment of less than a year, transition planning is viewed as valuable and essential. Inadequate transition planning compromises public safety, increased incidence of psychiatric symptoms, hospitalization, relapse, suicide, homelessness, and rearrest. The APIC model which entails the critical linkages of the elements of assessment, planning, identification, and coordination provides a model of transition planning that contains core concepts that are equally applicable to jails and communities of all sizes. This paper describes how the model was implemented with the belief that the basic guidance the model offers can be useful to all United States Jails. The first element assesses the inmate’s clinical and social needs and public safety risks with the most important part of the assessment process engaging the inmate in assessing his or her own needs. The second element plans for the treatment and services required to address the inmate’s identified needs includes: family, housing, integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders, medication and medical care, food and clothing, transportation, and child care. The third element involves identifying required community and correctional programs responsible for post-release services. The final element is the coordination of the transition plan to ensure implementation and avoid gaps in care. If the elements of the APIC model are implemented in whole or in part, it is seen as likely to improve outcomes for people with co-occurring disorders who are released from jail. References