Program offers new hope for mentally ill

Now Project Link, a program created by several Rochester community organizations and the Medical Center, is showing unprecedented success in treating this group of patients, who oftentimes bounce from jail to the hospital to the streets with no successful treatment.

"Jails and prisons have become the final destination for the mentally ill in America--it's the most pressing issue facing psychiatry today," said psychiatrist Steven Lamberti, director of Project Link. "The Los Angeles County Jail has become the nation's largest mental institution. It holds more people suffering from severe mental illness than any hospital in the country. The problem has received a lot of attention, but there have been few proposed solutions. We've found one promising approach."

Project Link combines a number of innovative treatments, including a culturally diverse staff, close cooperation with the criminal justice system, a mobile treatment team, and a residence for patients with mental illness and addiction. Most important, several community-based organizations are partners, including Action for a Better Community, the Ibero-American Action League, Monroe County Clinic for Socio-Legal Services, Unity Health System, and the Urban League of Rochester. A representative from each is part of the project's management team, bringing together very different groups who share the goal of improving patients' lives.

"This program is a prime example of an innovative and much-needed service for persons with serious mental illness involved with the criminal justice system," said James Stone, New York State commissioner of mental health. "Project Link has achieved significant reductions in jail and hospital lengths of stay, and is making a significant contribution both to the individual clients and to the local mental health community."

The program is aimed at people who have a severe and persistent mental illness and a history of involvement with the criminal justice system. Of the current participants, two-thirds never graduated from high school, one-third were homeless, and nearly half have felony convictions. About 85 percent have either schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, and more than 80 percent reported using drugs or alcohol. Most are African-American or Hispanic men.

A recent study shows hopeful signs that the program is making strides to help these people.

Project Link was recently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as the winner of the prestigious Gold Achievement Award for the most outstanding university-run clinical psychiatric program for the mentally ill in the country.

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