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Innovation in Colorado: The Pueblo DD/MH Consortium Diversionary Program
by Larry Velasco and Lamar Trant
It has been over 13 years since the Pueblo DD/MH Consortium was established as a volunteer network of agencies willing to work cooperatively with one another in an endeavor to provide effective quality services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health needs who are also classified as offenders. The Consortium became a reality in the Spring of 1987 after Colorado Bluesky Enterprises Inc. (formerly known as Pueblo County Board for Developmental Disabilities) received a visiting professor grant from the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Planning Council for the purpose of receiving consultation from an expert who worked successfully with individuals who had dual diagnoses of developmental disabilities and mental illness (DD/MI). Dr. Peter Holmes, from Eastern Michigan University, was the catalyst for bringing together frustrated professionals from the state mental health and developmental disabilities departments, private hospitals in Pueblo, the state hospital for persons with developmental disabilities, the county department of social services, and representatives from the local school districts. Prior to the grant, agencies played the “hot potato” game. Any individual who had a dual diagnosis of DD/MI who was creating problems in the community belonged to the “other guys.” No one wanted to accept responsibility for assisting the DD/MI offender who challenged any service delivery system.
What was a “stone throwing” relationship in 1987 has evolved into a “mutual admiration society” which has been discovering creative means to assist some of the most difficult to serve persons in the community. The very simple goal of coming together on a monthly basis and listening to case presentations about challenging individuals has evolved to the cooperative creation of action plans for individuals which are communicated to the courts via the individual’s service coordinator. Consortium members review the individual’s case as presented by the person’s service coordinator, ask questions, and identify potential resources which may come from any of the participating agencies. No agency is asked to do something it is unable to do and no extraordinary measures are expected where resources are unavailable. Each agency representative knows what they can voluntarily commit to as a resource for any person’s plan. State agencies assist private non-profit agencies and vice versa, creatively utilizing resources to the maximum degree. Once the elements of the plan are solidified and verified by the service coordinator, it is provided to the judge either through discussion with the assistant district attorney or the public defender. Generally, both parties and the individual with developmental disabilities who has committed an offense agree upon the plan before submitting it to the judge in court. If there is disagreement, the assistant district attorney may still present the plan as developed and the public defender will object on whatever basis is relevant. The judge may either accept the plan as written or may ask that the parties do additional work and return with possible changes to the plan. The judge insures that the defendant’s rights are not violated and that the community services are in place when the final sentence is made.
An important component of the Consortium’s efforts has involved training for the judges in Pueblo about people with developmental disabilities and their supports and services in this community. They have also learned about the willingness of the Pueblo human service professional community to work together to develop viable plans. These plans include mental health intervention as well as behavioral programs structured to insure an individual’s success in closely supervised well-managed services. The individual plans insure the court that each person will have little to no opportunity to re-offend against individuals in the community. The “diversion program” which has been developed by the Consortium is not a formal diversion program. It is tailor-made to fit the individual’s level of functioning and the community service agencies’ abilities to provide consequences to respond to each individual’s needs.
Recently, the Consortium hosted our bi-annual “Judges’ Dinner” where the judges listened to presentations by mental health and developmental disabilities professionals on the current status of the Consortium and its activities. Also attending this event were representatives from the police and sheriff’s departments, probation, and the public defender’s office. The judges were very positive and commended the Consortium members for providing such an effective diversion process for this target group. They further expressed their thanks because the rate of recidivism for these individuals has been remarkably low in comparison to the norm.
The Consortium has also recently developed Project A.S.S.I.S.T (Assault, Safety, and Social Intervention Systems Training). This project provides a voluntary, centralized identification and tracking system for individuals with developmental disabilities who are classified as offenders or those who may otherwise come to the attention of law enforcement officers or emergency psychiatric or medical personnel due to behavior which is a danger to self or others. Individuals with medical conditions such as seizures or uncontrolled diabetes, or problems with drug or alcohol abuse may also be included in the tracking system. A contact number is made available to police and sheriff dispatch personnel for immediately accessing critical information and understanding about individuals who may be “picked up” on the street by law enforcement personnel or who may be reported by program staff in need of police or sheriff assistance. Details of this process are shared with the criminal justice system through training sessions and the involvement of law enforcement personnel in Consortium meetings. This process further enhances the “system’s” ability to address the health, safety and well-being of all of the community’s citizens by maintaining a cooperative working relationship between the human service agencies and the criminal justice system. Several hundred Pueblo police officers and sheriffs officers will be trained at least once a year beginning in January and February 2001. Training sessions will also be held with the district attorneys, public defenders, and probation officers. Sessions have been provided to criminal justice officers during the past 13 years, however, this has not occurred on an annual basis and, consequently, many new law enforcement officers have not been trained in regards to special needs individuals.
Another form of training is being provided directly to persons with developmental disabilities through Safety First classes which are administered by the Arc of Pueblo, Colorado Bluesky Enterprises and several members of their service agencies. These classes are taught by police officers and fire fighters and they provide individuals with developmental disabilities an opportunity to develop a supportive rapport with these public servants. The Safety First program has been funded by a grant from the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
Last year, Colorado Bluesky Enterprises’ offender program was renamed the RESULTS program (Resocialization through Understanding, Limits, Training and Support) in order to eliminate the stigma associated with the use of “offender.” A new residential RESULTS program for females who have come to the attention of the legal system has also been implemented. The need for this highly structured and supervised program became critical due to the increase in the number of females who have become difficult to serve in a more typical residential program. Currently there are three women served in this program. A RESULTS day program/work component has also been added for both females and males which primarily takes place on a seven-acre farm. The program provides a more isolated environment for these individuals to help eliminate undue attention to extreme challenging behavior and to insure public safety. These individuals have previously engaged in aggressive, run-away or sexually assaultive behavior in public settings, such as a college campus and a city parking garage while working on crews performing contractual work in the community. In addition to the work component of this program, individuals will also learn to be responsible for llamas and dogs raised on the farm. This is designed to provide an opportunity to learn compassion for another living being that is dependent on them for food, water, grooming and love.
One of the many individuals who has benefited from the RESULTS program is Carl.* He was served in the program for three years following several incidents of sexual assault and inappropriate sexual conduct. After three years of intensive programming and significant progress, he earned the opportunity to live in a Host Home with a married couple who are both highly skilled in working with individuals with these types of problems. He continues to receive very close supervision and ongoing social skill training. Reflecting on his experience with the program, he says:
- Before I was in the RESULTS program I lived in several Host Homes and worked at McDonalds. I had to move to the RESULTS program because I was lying, being aggressive, ran away, and had problems with my sexual behavior. When I was younger, I was living in Denver in a big group home, and I was being aggressive at home and at the high school. Then I moved to the RESULTS home and I was on a program earning points and moving to higher levels. The staff helped me move on and do more things in life. Now I am on a work crew at a community college. I also help out at church putting the food in boxes of Care and Share, and I help out my neighbor and family members. Most of all what I need to work on is my sexual behavior, my aggression, and not lying. I am also working on asking for my needs and wants. Now I go to the Appropriate Social and Sexual Expression Therapy (ASSET) group, and my team helps me make the right choices to help me have joy in life.
In summary, the Pueblo DD/MH Consortium continues to be an important catalyst for many innovations that have demonstrated positive effects for individuals with developmental disabilities who are also offenders. We look forward to more successes, collaboration, and creativity in this remarkable volunteer community network.
*Pseudonym
Larry Velasco is co-therapist and CEO, and Lamar Trant is therapist and RESULTS Program Director, with the Pueblo DD/MH Consortium, Pueblo, Colorado. They may be reached at 719/546-0572 or by e-mail at larryvelasco@usa.net.
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Citation: Hanson, R., Wieseler, N., & Lakin, K. (2000). Impact: Feature Issue on Behavior Support for Crisis Prevention and Response, 14(1) [online]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Available from http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/141/. __________ Hard copies of Impact are available from the Publications Office of the Institute on Community Integration. The first copy of this issue is free; additional copies are $4 each. You can request copies by phone at 612-624-4512 or E-mail at icipub@umn.edu, or you can fax or mail us an order form. See our listing of other issues of Impact for more information. The print design version (PDF, 448K, 28 pp.) of this issue of Impact is also available for free, complete with the color layout and photographs. This version looks the most like the newsletter as it was printed. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.
