FORENSIC PROGRAMS

MEDINA COUNTY JAIL SERVICES

Alternative Paths provides mental health and substance abuse screening and treatment for inmates at the Medina County Jail. Inmates in need of services can access assessment, individual counseling, group counseling, case management, or psychiatric services while at the jail. In addition, individuals with substance use disorders that may benefit from Medication Assisted Treatment may initiate those services while in jail. 

Once services have been established in the jail, our team of clinicians works to provide linkage for individuals to community-based services at Alternative Paths or other appropriate community providers. Our linkage team will also provide assistance in obtaining additional support, including housing, benefits, and other necessary services in an effort to assist individuals in being successful in the community and reduce recidivism at the Medina County Jail.

COURT DIVERSION SERVICES

Court diversion counselors provide chemical dependency and/ or mental health assessment, group, and individual counseling services, case management, and crisis intervention to clients who are referred for services by the probation departments of the Medina and Wadsworth Municipal Courts.  Staff will work with the clients to help decrease their potential for recidivating in the criminal justice system and to maintain a lifestyle that supports the successful completion of community sanctions recommended by the court.  

JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER SERVICES

Alternative Paths provides mental health and substance abuse intervention and treatment services to juveniles detained at the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center. An initial assessment is provided to juveniles to ensure their own safety and the safety of others upon entrance to the JDC. If necessary, additional services, including individual counseling, group counseling, case management, and intervention/education services are provided based on individual needs.  Our JDC staff work with the juvenile, families, other community agencies, and court staff to develop a plan of services for the juvenile that can be implemented upon return to the community.

JUVENILE DRUG COURT SERVICES

Alternative Paths is a designated provider for the Medina County Juvenile Drug Court program. The special docket is certified by the Ohio Supreme Court. Our staff provide an initial assessment for program participants, and recommend participation in either the Juvenile Drug Court or early intervention services. 

The Juvenile Drug Court utilizes evidence based group curriculum, along with individual and family counseling. Equine Assisted Therapy may also be a treatment option for some clients. Alternative Paths clinicians develop an individualized treatment plan in conjunction with the youth and their families. 

Juvenile Drug Court Services are provided at the Juvenile Drug Court Annex Building, while early intervention services are provided at Alternative Paths’ Medina office.

LOSS TEAM 

The Alternative Paths LOSS (Local Outreach of Suicide Survivor) Team for Medina County supports postvention efforts following a death by suicide.  All postvention activities will focus on support for the bereaved (family, friends, professionals, and peers). Connecting to services and supports as soon as possible can reduce stigma, restore hope and promote healing.
 
The Medina County LOSS Team shall provide the following:

  • Crisis response outreach when a death by suicide occurs. LOSS Team Clinicians trained in crisis response will respond to the location of suicide death and provide support to loved ones in the immediate hours after they have lost someone to suicide.  The LOSS Team will be dispatched by local law enforcement.

  • Clinicians will provide ongoing outreach to suicide loss survivors. LOSS Team Clinicians may outreach individuals affected by a suicide death in the days following the loss. The team will also attempt to engage the survivors in supportive contacts in the weeks and months following to ensure survivors have access to needed resources or to provide general support.

  • The LOSS Team will refer survivors to needed bereavement resources to support the healthy grieving process of individuals and attend to mental health needs.  The LOSS Team Clinician is not expected to become the ongoing treatment provider for the survivors.

Postvention is Prevention

  • LOSS Teams engaged in activities implemented after a death by suicide can reduce the risk of additional deaths by suicide. 

  • Persons with a history of suicide in their families are at higher risk of suicide.

  • It has been found that many survivors delay engaging in bereavement resources due to their lack of knowledge about where to seek help.

  • Those who have lost someone to suicide many times have complicated bereavement processes impacted by the stigma of suicide.  Early support and engagement with resources work to reduce the long-term mental health effects.

  • The county will have a team of clinicians specifically trained in prevention/ intervention and postvention skills related to suicide.

  • The LOSS Team is a component in an array of prevention efforts within our county which include; the Suicide Prevention Coalition, HOPE Squad, QPR Trainings, CIT, as well as 24/7 Crisis Intervention Services.

Principles of a LOSS Team

Evidence-Informed Research indicates that many individuals experience fear, anxiety, a need to connect with others, a sense of being overwhelmed, and/or hopelessness immediately after a suicide and that addressing these issues early on, is related to improved recovery.  Loss Team Clinicians will focus on five basic principles:

1. Safety
Survivors may be concerned about their own safety and the safety of those close to them.
2. Calming
Suicide may cause fear, distress, and anxiety.
3. Connectedness
Suicide can separate families, friends, and community members, and shatter the connectedness people share with one another.
4. Self and Community Efficacy
After a suicide, individuals may feel overwhelmed and vulnerable. Nevertheless, every survivor and community has strengths upon which to draw. Help survivors to identify and apply their strengths, learn new strategies to cope with their situation, and begin to rebuild their lives and their communities.
5. Hope
When survivors are feeling that their world is falling apart and everything is hitting them at once, make every attempt to promote a sense of hope.