Butler County recognizes mental health efforts

Criminal justice professionals and mental health and addiction agencies who have been working to help rather than incarcerate those with mental illness and addiction issues will be honored today in Butler County.

The first-time ceremony will recognize a number of people through Butler County's Stepping Up Initiative, a collaborative effort to keep non-violent offenders out of the criminal justice system by identifying appropriate intervention programs.

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Rhonda Benson, executive director of the Butler County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said each honoree epitomizes the purpose of the Stepping Up Initiative, which is to provide services and help for the mentally ill rather than having them repeatedly jailed.

“Who is it that works well with these folks and goes the extra mile to get them extra treatment,” Benson said. “Does whatever it is to try get them from having to be in jail all the time.”

Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Noah Powers presides over the Substance Abuse and Mental Illness (SAMI) court. Getting people help and not just putting them in jail is the key, he said.

“We cannot incarcerate our way out of problems relating to substance abuse and mental illness. Just putting someone in jail does not make the problem better. That individual needs help or that person will be back in jail. Recovery is a lifelong process,” Powers said.

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The Stepping Up Initiative has allowed the courts, jail, the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board, NAMI and others to discover “cutting edge” ways to tackle the problem and identify any gaps that may exist, said Scott Rasmus, executive director of the MHARS board.

“There’s been a lot of discussion, brainstorming, emphasizing what’s going on in different facets in support of clients with behavioral health issues,” he said. “Having a multi-disciplinary group working together helps all the resources to be on the same page and to better understand the benefits and limitations of cooperative efforts.”

The awards ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. today in the atrium of the Government Services Center, 130 High St. in Hamilton.

Those who will be honored include:

Agencies:

• Stephanie Brashear, Community Behavioral Health

• Christina Burns, Transitional Living

• Dennis Murray, NAMI Butler County

• Sharon Perry, Access Counseling

Criminal justice professionals:

• Officer Chris Browning, Hamilton Police

• Fairfield Municipal Court Judge Joyce Campbell

• Lt. Brian Curlis, Monroe Police

• Officer Vanessa Eley, Farifield Twp. Police