The ohio department of rehabilitation and correction - adult parole authority (odrc - APA) is applying for this grant for the purpose of redesigning and supporting specialized mental health caseloads

The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a $550,000 Project Grant to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction - Adult Parole Authority (ODRC-APA) under the Criminal and Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (CFDA 16.745). The grant's purpose is to redesign and support specialized mental health caseloads for parole officers supervising individuals released from prison in Ohio. Key activities include providing training and support for parole officers assigned to mental health-specific caseloads, collaborating with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to identify resources and evidence-based interventions, and decreasing caseloads to accommodate the specific needs of supervisees. The grant will fund mental health subject matter expert contractors to support the identified parole officers and individuals on the specialized caseloads. The project period is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

The APA has a small number of designated parole officers who supervise mental health individuals, but there is currently no formalized training to support the nuances of this caseload. The APA supervises individuals released from prison, which amounts to approximately 25,000 individuals being supervised by 643 parole officers in six regions throughout the state. The primary activities include training and support for the officers assigned mental health specific caseloads. The APA would work with mental health and addiction services (mhas) to identify resources, training, and propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism. The APA and mhas would identify and collaborate with various community support agencies. Each APA region will identify one or more parole officers to supervise a mental health specific caseload. Caseloads will be decreased to accommodate the specific needs of the supervisees.to support the identified officers and supervisees, mental health subject matter expert contractors will be hired. There are no planned conference activities for the recommended award.