Background:

Although the research on specialty mental health probation (SMHP) is promising, there have been no randomized controlled trials (RCT) of the prototypical model advanced in the research literature and little focus on SMHP implementation. This study assesses the adoption of SMHP in two counties and examines its impact on mental health and criminal justice outcomes. Researchers conducted a RCT within a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study to examine intervention adoption as well as mental health treatment engagement and criminal justice outcomes for 100 individuals with serious mental illnesses on probation in one rural and one urban county in a southeastern state.

Aims:

This study aimed to evaluate the composition of SMHP and standard probation officer caseloads, action steps initiated and completed following enrollment in SMHP and on standard probation, both at large and when stratified by rural and urban counties, and probation violations post-enrollment for standard probation and SMHP, at large and by rural and urban countries.

Principal Investigator:

Gary Cuddeback (via a subaward with NC Department of Adult Correction)

Articles:

Van Deinse, T.B., Givens, A., Frey, J., Cowell, M., & Cuddeback, G.S. (2022). Characteristics of probation officers’ service provider networks: Connecting individuals with mental illnesses to community-based supports. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation.

Van Deinse, T.B., Givens, A., Cowell, M., Ghezzi, M., Murray-Lichtman, A., & Cuddeback, G.S. (2021). A randomized trial of specialty mental health probation: Measuring implementation and effectiveness outcomes. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 49(2022), 415-428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-021-01172-0

Van Deinse, T.B., Bunger, A., Burgin, S.E., Wilson, A.B, & Cuddeback, G.S. (2019). Using the consolidated framework for implementation research to examine implementation determinants of specialty mental health probation: Results from a hybrid efficacy-implementation study. Health and Justice, 7(17), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-019-0098-5

Tomar, N., Brinkley-Rubinstein, L., Ghezzi, M. A., Van Deinse, T. B., Burgin, S., & Cuddeback, G. S. (2020). Internalized stigma and its correlates among justice-involved individuals with mental illness. International Journal of Mental Health, 49(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2019.1703358

Tomar, N., Ghezzi, M.A., Brinkley-Rubinstein, L., Wilson, A.B., Van Deinse, T.B., Burgin, S.E. & Cuddeback, G.S. (2017). Statewide mental health training for probation officers: Improving knowledge and decreasing stigma. Health & Justice, 5(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-017-0057-y