Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona today announced the implementation of a Community Re-Entry Program for adults and juveniles recently released from incarceration.

This program is designed to help reduce recidivism by encouraging participation in various behavioral health and substance abuse treatment services. Cenpatico’s Community Re-Entry Program kicked off Sept. 25, and is the first of its type to be used in the rural counties, including Pinal, Gila, La Paz and Yuma.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 67.5% of prisoners released were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years leading to overcrowded facilities and increased correction expenditures for state governments. The recidivism rate is often attributed to lack of participation in behavioral health treatment and substance use services following the inmates’ release. Melinda Vasquez Cenpatico’s chief Officer of Community Affairs states, “Our Community Re-Entry Program ensures that inmates receive prompt and professional behavioral health treatment as well as community support for housing and employment immediately upon their release. By facilitating this transition, we can help former inmates overcome many of the challenges they encounter when re-entering society.”

Cenpatico coordinates a Comprehensive Eligibility Screening and Assessment Evaluation (CESAE) for inmates residing in various correctional facility settings. Cenpatico works with juvenile detention centers, adult county jails, and Arizona Department of Corrections, which along with probation and parole department representatives, select appropriate candidates to refer to the program.

About Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona

Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona is a subsidiary of Cenpatico Behavioral Health, LLC. Cenpatico facilitates the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services to behavioral health recipients in the Arizona counties of Gila, Pinal, La Paz and Yuma. For more information, please visit www.cenpaticoaz.com

- Arizona Silver Belt Newspaper © 2008

This entry is filed under News.