Area Mental Health Substance Abuse Treatment

An intensive substance abuse program is offered by professional counselors from Mecklenburg Area Mental Health Authority and is located at Jail Central.    Sentenced and pre-sentenced adult inmates are eligible for participation.

The open-ended substance abuse treatment programs are available at Jail-Central for males and females.  A clinical assessment by a member of the treatment program staff is required to qualify interested inmates for admission to the program. The program treats addiction as a disease and utilize a modified 12-step, cognitive approach. A certificate is awarded upon completion.

Treatment is available to male and female inmates who qualify and are classified as minimum or medium security levels. Primary Care, Continuing Care, and Relapse Prevention treatment programs are available to English speaking inmates. Primary Care treatment services are available in Spanish for male inmates.

Aftercare meetings are available to male and female graduates of the substance abuse treatment programs. Alcoholics' Anonymous meetings are available for male and female inmates currently involved in the treatment program. Narcotics Anonymous meetings are available for any female inmate wishing to participate.

Area Mental Health counselors provides substance abuse treatment and substance education to youthful offenders at Jail-North.

AA/NA Meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings are available to inmates enrolled in treatment.

Safe Dates

This is a prevention program designed to stop or prevent the initiation of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse on dates or between individuals involved in a dating relationship. 

Program goals are to change adolescent dating violence norms, change adolescent gender-role norms, improve conflict resolution skills for dating relationships, promote victims' and perpetrators' beliefs in the need for help and awareness of community resources for dating violence, promote help-seeking by victims and perpetrators, and improve peer help-giving skills. 

Because dating violence is often tied to substance abuse, Safe Dates is often used with drug and alcohol prevention and general violence prevention programs.  It can be taught in English or Spanish. 

Project Toward No Drug Abuse (PTND)

An interactive program designed to help high school youth (ages 14-19) resist substance use.  It is taught in both English and Spanish.  This school-based program consists of twelve 40 to 50 minute lessons that include motivational activities, social skills training, and decision-making components that are delivered through group discussions, games, role-playing exercises, videos, and student worksheets over a 4-week period. 

The program was originally designed for high-risk youth in continuation or alternative, high schools and consisted of nine lessons developed using a motivation-skills-decision making model.  The instruction to students provides cognitive motivation enhancement activities to not use drugs, detailed information about the social and health consequences of drug use, and correction of cognitive misperceptions.  The program addresses topics such as active listening skills, effective communication skills, stress management, coping skills, tobacco cessation techniques, and self-control--- all to counteract risk factors for drug abuse relevant to older teens.

Jail Services Wellness Program (JSWP)

A pilot program for youths ages 14-17 that began in July 2007.  The (JSWP) is a collaborative effort of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, Substance Abuse Prevention Services, CMS, Center for Community Transitions (formerly ECO), Family Preservation Services, MeckCARES, Teen Health Connection, and Alexander Youth Network.

The program identifies youth who are in need of Mental Health Services, establish family service partnerships before release, reduce likelihood of repeated incarceration, stabilize mental health and prepare family for the youth's return home.  The JSWP provides assessments, therapy services for the incarcerated youth, Intensive In Home Services, Multisystemic Therapy (MST), Educational Transition Services, Physical Health Screens, full Psychological Assessments, Intensive Therapeutic Foster Care, and Parent Support.

Moving Ahead Program

The Moving Ahead Program (MAP) was initiated at Spector Drive Jail in September, 2006 and continues after release of the participants. It encompasses Thinking For a Change (T4C), a National Institute of Corrections program, job skills, parent involvement, mentor support and ongoing follow-up and support for one year. The 22-hour Thinking For A Change curricula is delivered during the first phase, covering Communication Skills, Analyzing Our Thinking Processes, Feelings/Anger Management and Decision Making. The second phase going into Aftercare incorporates job, interpersonal and intrapersonal living skills. The final phase offers follow-up group and individual support. T4C is used in prisons, jails, community corrections, probation and parole supervision settings. The goal of T4C is to teach offenders how to change their thinking patterns and behavior.

Youth are selected to participate in MAP through screening for personal commitment to move ahead with the program and a desire to build their future. MCSO Jail North Youthful Offender Officers, parents, probation personnel and other caring persons are asked to support the program by seeking opportunities to affirm participant behavior. T4C asks for changes in thinking and behavior. When noticed and positively affirmed by significant adults, youth will be more likely to try out new positive behavior again and again.

HealthShare

A physician assistant and a registered nurse provide breast and cervical cancer prevention and detection classes to females. HealthShare is a free clinic for females living in the Charlotte area.