Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction Grant (MIOCR II)

The State of California gave grants to many counties in California to see if offering creative treatment solutions as an alternative to custody would effect a cost savings for the State. I was hired to replace a Project Manager who left the project suddenly. When I came aboard, the staff had been without immediate supervision for some time. While I was learning about the State's expectations, my departmental commitments, and other project details, I began interviewing everyone on my new staff to get their perspective. This information became tremendously helpful to me as I gradually changed the direction of the project. Fortunately, I was very conservative in utilizing any funds for the project, because our funding was cut by the State due to fiscal constraints. However, in concert with the Sheriff's Department and funding they had, we were able to continue the project for the entire timeframe of the original project proposal.

In the middle of the budget cuts, our project also experienced some significant personnel changes. However, the project came back stronger and more efficient as we adapted to an amazing group of talented people. The treatment staff were very dedicated individuals and all support staff were very invested in helping our clients. Because some of our team partners fought for a living (ie, DA/PD offices), I often had to deal with conflicting world views. This was a very successful collaboration, and I grew to respect each player's roles in creating a civil society through the work we were engaged in during the process. The Sheriff's Department was given awards by my department for their dedication to helping the mentally ill under their supervision, truly a remarkable event. Probation worked very closely with the treatment staff to provide accountability and support for all of our clients. While some of the elements of the initial proposal were not met (to decrease recidivism), it was accepted by team players that over a much longer assessment period, most likely a decrease would be realized, as well as improvement in quality of life for our clients. We certainly saw people graduate our program who had never received a certificate for anything, and proudly displayed it in their new housing. We watched as one man who rarely spoke, stood up at his graduation and gave an entire speech.