Evaluating Administered Differences of Brief Jail Mental Health Screener and Impacts of Diagnoses & Treatment of Linked Inmates with Severe Mental Illness; Investigating the Potential Role of Telehealth Technology in Police Response to Mental Health Emergencies

The motivations behind the technical report and the science, technology, and society (STS) research paper in this portfolio stem from a desire to bring greater awareness to and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. The technical report, “Evaluating Administered Differences of Brief Jail Mental Health Screener and Impacts of Diagnoses & Treatment of Linked Inmates with Severe Mental Illness” analyzes the way in which individuals with severe mental illness are identified for treatment once booked into jail and trends between diagnosis and treatment received. This was accomplished by looking into inmates’ responses to the Brief Jail Mental Health Screener (BJMHS) at Albemarle County Regional Jail (ACRJ), as well as diagnosis and treatment data from Region Ten Community Services (R10) which provides mental health, developmental disorder, and substance use services. While the technical report analyzes the infrastructure for addressing the needs of individuals once they have been arrested, the STS paper provides a heavier focus into the interactions of these individuals with first responders at the time of a mental health emergency call. The STS paper, “Investigating the Potential Role of Telehealth Technology in Police Response to Mental Health Emergencies”, aims to identify key requirements for implementing telehealth technology into existing criminal justice systems. Additionally, the paper specifically addresses the question of feasibility for implementing the technology in Charlottesville and similar cities. The two papers together provide a comprehensive look at the intersection of the criminal justice system and mental health, as well as offer tools in order to support future decision making in this area.

The capstone team who completed the work recorded in the technical paper utilized data and statistical analysis methods using computing software to draw conclusions, such as the underrepresentation of Black males in the population of people who screen in to receive mental health treatment at ACRJ. This research was the continuation of over a decade-long partnership between the University of Virginia Systems Engineering department and agencies including, ACRJ, Central Virginia Regional Jail (CVRJ), R10, and OAR (Office of Aid and Restoration). Findings were presented in detailed figures and statistics and further analysis on the administration of the screener and use of R10 services was conducted.

The STS research paper applies methods from the actor-network theory to answer the research questions. Identifying requirements for telehealth technology involved visually mapping key actors in the network on the technological, human, organizational, and macro scales. Analyzing feasibility of the technology in Charlottesville was accomplished by interviewing an expert actor in the local criminal justice system, Tom von Hemert, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator for the Thomas Jefferson Area. The actor-network theory framework provided a strong outline for analyzing the addition of a new actor due to its attention to the ever-changing nature of complex systems.

School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Systems and Information Engineering
Technical Advisor: Michael Smith, K. Preston White, Loreto Peter Alonzi
STS Advisor: Rider Foley, S. Travis Elliott
Technical Team Members: George Corbin, Nora Dale, Aatmika Deshpande, Katherine Korngiebel, Emma Wilt