Mental Health Staffing
Many of those who come into our custody at the Ramsey County Jail suffer from mental health conditions. In response, with the support of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, we increased our mental health staffing in 2017 and continue to do so as we move forward. In 2017, we added two new mental health provider positions in our Adult Detention Center. These staff members are employees of Ramsey County Public Health and have dedicated assignments to serve the inmates that are in our care.
These providers focus on adding another layer of protection and intervention for those inmates who may be suicidal or who may not be following their prescribed medication plan. Mental health staff members make daily visits to those who are in need of services. Staff also work with inmates on transition planning, which is intended to connect them to support and services once they leave our facility.
Staffing our facility with dedicated mental health providers has been shown to be effective in keeping people on track with their medications and establishing follow-up appointments with medical providers.
