LOCAL STORY PHOTO PROVIDED BY NIKKI JOHNSON, PSY. D. DENVER SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT APPOINTS FIRST CHIEF OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY DOUG HRDLICKA ROUGHLY 50 PERCENT of people incarcerated are suffering from mental health issues at any given moment, noted Dr. Nikki Johnson, chief of mental health services for the Denver Sheriff Department. Upon intake, 35 percent of incarcerated people report that they’re either homeless or transient, and 65 percent report they have nowhere to go upon release. “Those individuals stay in jail longer than individuals without mental health issues,” Johnson said. “I definitely think that the treatment of those with mental illness is a large priority for the Denver Sheriff Department.” Johnson has led an impressive 15-year career migrating, overseeing, and bolstering mental health access to inmates at correctional institutions. That time includes long stints at the Colorado Department of Corrections, in a maximumsecurity prison, and as program coordinator of Jail Based Evaluation and Restoration for the Colorado Department of Human Services, to name just a few. Most recently, Johnson served as the director of mental health for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Detention Facility before moving to Denver to assume the first-ever position of chief of mental health services. “I think that this position will really give the Denver Sheriff’s Department the opportunity to be at the forefront of criminal justice reform,” Johnson said. 10 DENVER VOICE February 2021 During her first year with the Denver Sheriff Department, Johnson plans to focus on three main goals. First, she plans to implement a 12-bed competency restoration program trial to track an inmate’s level of competency during the court process. That trial will happen in partnership with the Office of Behavioral Health. “We have at least weekly meetings, where we have an ongoing list of individuals who are involved in the competency process,” Johnson said. Her second goal is to bring on a round-the-clock team of civilians with backgrounds in mental health and crisis intervention to step in when inmates succumb to behavior brought on by mental illness. “Crisis in the jail can look similar to in the community,” she said, in reference to Denver’s Co-Responder Program, which enlists the help of medical and mental health professionals on scenes in lieu of officers. Johnson’s team will act much like the folks on the CoResponder Program to help prevent the worst outcome for both inmates and staff. “Criminal charges can be pressed if [a mental health breakdown] escalates, so the goal is that we decrease those types of incidents and keep our staff safe,” Johnson said. Next, she plans to develop a strong exit strategy with the aim of reducing a person’s likelihood of returning. This starts with access to basic needs like shelter, food, and employment. “The third goal is looking at entry-to-exit mental health treatment in the jail system and reviewing and ensuring that we are really providing the best practices from right when the individual enters the facility to when they exit the facility,” said Johnson. “A large focus will be on that reentry process and making sure those individuals have those connections they need to be successful within the community.” Many of the programs were put in place prior to Johnson’s arrival, but with oversight and implementation of new and useful tools, the aforementioned 50 percent of inmates with mental health issues might find reprieve. “I think there are a lot of options within the Denver community, and we’ll be partnering and working with them to make sure we can create those relationships and foster that transition process.” ■
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