Chair Farías asks about officer presence during exams and mental health continuity
Farías asks whether correctional officers are present during pregnant patient exams or labor. Merrill says mental health screening occurs during medical evaluation and referrals can be made by CHS, DOC, legal aid, or external parties.
Are correctional officers, sorry folks, got to ask all the questions.
I heard some.
Are correctional officers present in the room while a pregnant patient is being examined or in the hospital during labor and delivery?
And then my last questions, in case anyone else wants to think of any before we move on.
Okay.
What procedures are in place to ensure continuity of psychiatric care for patients who screen positive for depression, anxiety, postpartum depression, or other perinatal mental health conditions while in custody?
Right.
So part of the comprehensive medical evaluation, the nurses, medical staff are screening for mental health needs, and then they can make the referral to the mental health service.
As mentioned, we have a very low threshold for those referrals.
And as mentioned, testimony, more than 80% of women in our care are enrolled in the mental health service.
But referrals can be made at any point during the individual's incarceration from CHS staff, from a DOC officer, from a legal aid attorney, or other external parties.
Okay, appreciate that.
I'm passing it over to Chair Brooks-Powers.