The LA County Public Defender has won the Silver Eagle Award for its Public Defender Jail Liaison Program — the second-highest award in the Top 10 category — during the 31st Annual Productivity and Quality Awards Ceremony on Oct. 18 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

“You have demonstrated what effective collaboration among departments looks like,” Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas told winners during the ceremony. “You’ve set an example of what a public sector should strive to achieve.”

The new LA County Public Defender program assists incarcerated, mentally ill and developmentally disabled clients. The award honors LA County departmental improvement efforts deserving recognition by the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Office, Quality and Productivity Commission and the public.

Above Photo: Public Defender Mental Health Jail Liaison Program leaders: Supervising social worker Tracie Jones, clinical social worker Natalie Rojano Jenkins (holding award) and Assistant Public Defender Winston A. Peters.

Called the Jail Mental Health Liaison Program, the effort for the first time allows Public Defender licensed clinical social workers direct access to detained mentally ill and developmentally disabled inmates. These efforts help ensure the inmate receive the correct medication, proper interventions, more humane treatment and alternatives to remaining in custody. The approach also improves their legal outcomes in court.

The Public Defender program was developed in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health (Health Services) and the enthusiastic support of the Sheriff and the District Attorney.

Since its inception in January 2016, more than 400 mentally ill and developmentally disabled inmates have benefited from this crucial service, significantly reducing the need for these vulnerable clients to endure forced, often-violent physical extraction from cells. To date, the program has prevented 62 jail extractions.

Often, mentally ill clients in custody are incapable of meaningful communication with their attorneys either in person, or through video conferencing and telephone calls. Many are not taking proper medication, suffer from depression or become suicidal. They may refuse to exit their cell to appear in court. This may result in disciplinary issues. The attorney-client relationship may suffer.

The social worker liaison streamlines each client’s case and improves the way the Public Defender functions in general. Before the program, if a mentally ill client had an issue in jail — not taking their medication, refusing to go to court or eat, becoming despondent — sheriff’s deputies would contact the client’s attorney, who would try to schedule a meeting usually at a later date.

Now, deputies email the liaison team and within 24 hours, typically much sooner, a Public Defender social worker at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility where most mentally ill inmates are housed, meets with the client face-to-face.

With the inmates’ mental health issues analyzed, assessed and resolved by the liaison, Public Defender attorneys can focus their attention on the legal aspects of the case. These coordinated efforts expedite case processing, and result in better case outcomes and quicker mental health services for the client.

Often, after the social worker speaks with a client refusing to leave his cell, the issue is resolved, eliminating the need for forced removal. Addressing the client’s underlying psychological and medical needs reduces court delays and ultimately helps the client move out of the criminal justice system.