x
Breaking News
More () »

Mental Health Offender Program aims to transform lives in Jacksonville

A new program headed by the Sulzbacher Center aims to help the city's mentally ill homeless population by keeping them out of jail and off the streets.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In downtown Jacksonville you'll likely see homeless people, some struggling with obvious signs of mental illness. Many of them have been arrested numerous times for misdemeanors.

It's a costly burden on a system not set up to handle mentally ill offenders but through a collaborative effort backed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, City Council, the State Attorney's Office and the Sulzbacher Center, a solution they say is in the works.

A nine-month pilot program is underway involving 20 people whose arrests in 2020 totaled $362,000. Since being a part of the Mental Health Offender Program they've racked up a meager in comparison bill of $12,000. Four people were a part of MHOP’s first graduating class. They’re invested in turning things around for themselves as countless others work to transform a system that is clearly not working.

Credit: FCN

Mark Mahon, Chief Judge of the 4th Judicial Circuit in Jacksonville is among the group of people aiming to transform lives. He says the misdemeanor arrests of mentally ill homeless people are a waste of money and resources.

"They rest in areas that the merchants and the residents don't want them there and they get arrested," Mahon said. “There just needs to be some better solution to handle the case.”

Credit: FCN

“Every time a person is arrested in Duval County it costs a little under $900 just for the arrest itself,” said Cindy Funkhouser, Sulzbacher President and CEO. “Think about that, $900 can put a person into housing for a whole month.”

Funkhouser says potential candidates for the MHOP program are chosen by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the state attorney.

“These are folks that are getting arrested for misdemeanors and they have a mental health flag,” Funkhouser explains. “In essence they can't help it. They're mentally ill. They may be urinating in public, or trespassing something like that and they're just circulating through the jail.”

At their first appearance in court, the person flagged in the system as a candidate for the program is asked if they'd like to join MHOP.

“We talk to the person to say you can take your couple of days of jail time or you can come into this program where we're going to help you and we're going to get you off the street, into housing and get you the help that you need,” Funkhouser said. “As opposed to continuing to get arrested and living on the street.”

Participants receive intensive wrap-around services that include peer support specialists, case managers, housing specialists, and someone to help the participant receive their disability benefits.

"We're getting them income, we're getting them housing and we're getting them mental health help," Funkhouser said.

Once called a public nuisance, Antron Hardrick’s newest title is graduate. He recently received a tiny house through the program.

“I'll be able to do more things for myself,” Hardwick said. “It's a great feeling.”

Sulzbacher's annual fundraiser, Transformations will be held Thursday, October 21 at noon online. The free virtual event will be streamed on SULZBACHERJAX.ORG.

They'll share stories of hope and transformation.

Before You Leave, Check This Out