Cobb Sheriff's Office First In State To Offer Detainees 24/7 Mental Health Support

COBB COUNTY, GA — Cobb County Adult Detention Center inmates will have access to behavioral and mental health services 24 hours per day, seven days per week starting in November — the first jail in Georgia to offer such services to its detainees.

Beginning Nov. 15, the jail will have a full-time psychiatrist on staff, who will be able to assess, diagnose and treat patients with mental health issues, according to a news release. The staff will also include registered psych nurses and licensed practical nurses.

“Many of the men and women in our custody would likely never have entered the criminal justice system if someone ensured they had access to quality mental health services at various stages of their lives,” Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens said in the news release. “From intake to discharge, we are committed to getting our detainees the help they need so they never have to walk back through our doors again.”

The new program will use the American Psychiatric Association's assessment and treatment plan formulation, which creates patient-specific support. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office and the health care team said they plan to place emphasis on suicide prevention and substance abuse support.

"Wellpath supports the Sheriff's vision to treat our patients with the dignity and compassion they deserve by enhancing the mental health services being provided," said Zela Guirola, group vice president of partnership development. “We are committed to providing 24/7 mental health coverage, enhanced staffing, intensive programming, and discharge planning focused on finding resources to support inmates upon discharge back into the community. These soft handoffs to community resources will support the continuation of care resulting in better served communities."

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held when the program launches "to celebrate the launch of this momentous shift in prioritizing detainee care," the release said.