News Summary

FAIRFIELD — In February, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Stratton credited Butler County with pioneering mental health courts in Ohio. On Wednesday, she challenged the courts and the business community to take the initiative a step further — developing a collaborative project to generate more housing and treatment options for the mentally ill.

Stratton's personal and professional experiences motivated her to launch a statewide initiative for criminal diversion programs for the mentally ill five years ago.

She told members of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce that Butler County had already initiated three of four steps she believes will reduce the numbers of mentally ill people who find themselves on criminal court dockets because their condition hasn't been adequately addressed — both medically and societally.

Stratton applauded Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Sage for his initiation of a mental health court more than five years ago as an extension of the older Butler County Drug Court started by Probate Judge Randy Rogers. She also lauded Fairfield Municipal Court Judge Joyce Campbell, who today presides over the mental health court docket.

Likewise, Stratton noted that Butler County, through Sage and Campbell, had already begun a coalition with local law enforcement and other agencies involved in handling mentally ill criminal defendants.

And, as an extension of that, Stratton said Butler has already developed a crisis intervention team which involves training police officers in skills that help them "de-escalate" potentially explosive situations involving the mentally ill, thereby reducing the need to make arrests arising from aggressive or violent behavior that erupts as a result of a person's mental condition.

The final piece of the puzzle, according to Stratton, is a comprehensive "re-entry" program that places mentally ill defendants back into the community with the tools they need to stay out of trouble; necessities such as medication, appropriate housing and job assistance.

Human condition issues aside, Stratton put the problem into monetary perspective, noting that — on average— it costs $30 a day to keep someone in a supported housing situation, compared to $60 a day for a jail cell, $500 a day for a bed in a psychiatric hospital and $1,500 a day for a hospital bed.

"That's where you can make a difference, inch by inch, step by step," Stratton told business leaders. "You can inspire others in the community to work collaboratively to develop and fund a re-entry program."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2192 or mlolli@coxohio.com.