SOP_NUMBER: 508.23-att-5
TITLE: Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit (SMHTU) – Orientation to the Program
DIVISION: Unknown
TOPIC_AREA: 508 Policy - MH Suicide Prevention/ACU/CSU/BTU
EFFECTIVE_DATE: 2018-04-27
WORD_COUNT: 1900
POWERDMS_URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/353301
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-5/
SUMMARY:
This document serves as an orientation guide for offenders assigned to the Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit (SMHTU), explaining the program structure, expectations, and available services. It outlines the four-level progression system based on behavior and mental health compliance, conduct requirements for residents, and the privileges and restrictions available at each level. The document covers mental health counseling, medical services, library access, chaplaincy services, and the formal review process for program advancement.
KEY_TOPICS: mental health treatment, SMHTU program, mental health counseling, program levels, offender conduct, disciplinary requirements, treatment plan, therapeutic services, privileges and restrictions, program progression, mental health compliance, psychiatric services, activity therapy, commissary privileges, telephone privileges, recreation activities
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit Recommendation Form
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-1/
2. Consent to Receive Specialized Mental Health Treatment
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-2/
3. Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit Admission Form
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-3/
4. Activity Therapy Assessment – for Specialized Mental Health Treatment Program
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-4/
5. Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit (SMHTU) – Orientation to the Program
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-5/
6. Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit Comprehensive Treatment Plan
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-6/
7. Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit (SMHTU) Discharge Summary
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-7/
8. Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit Monthly Report (Monthly Utilization Review)
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/508.23-att-8/
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FULL TEXT:
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SOP 508.23
Attachment 5
04/27/18
### Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit (SMHTU) – Orientation to the Program
**SPECIALIZED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM** **PROGRESSION THROUGH SMHTU** **OFFENDER SERVICES**
Offenders assigned to the Specialized Mental Health An offender is given the opportunity to progress through the
Treatment Unit, are here to receive an individualized focus four (4) levels of the program based upon his behavior and
on their specific mental health needs. Any offender can ability to adjust. Movement between the Levels is based daily.
refuse treatment, and talk to a MH Counselor, if this is what upon the offender meeting or failing to meet the
you want to do. However, we hope you will give the program expectations outlined in the offender’s individualized
a chance to work for you and also earn some of the incentives treatment plan. Progress through the levels is contingent on
that will be available as you progress through the program. mental health program compliance and therapeutic progress.
**LIBRARY SERVICES**
Access to General and Law Library materials must be in
writing and sent through the prison mail system **.**
**O** ffenders must sign for all material received and material
is not to be swapped among any other offender.
Days and time of delivery may change due to security or
institutional needs or holidays. All efforts will be made to
deliver legal material twice weekly. All efforts will be
made to deliver general library material once a week.
**CHAPLAINCY SERVICES**
In case of an emergency, (death in family, serious illness,
an injury to a family member, divorce, or some other
family trauma), you should request the officer available to
you, to contact the Chaplain for counsel relating to the
emergency.
Religious materials and visits are available to you. Contact
the Chaplaincy Office.
**HEALTH CARE SERVICES**
Sick call will be conducted for SMHTU MH offenders
Monday through Friday by medical staff in a designated
area. To ensure patient confidentiality, envelopes and the
Health Services Request Form will be picked up by the
nurse on daily rounds.
_*****A more detailed SMHTU program handbook is**_
_**available through the assigned counselor. *****_
**CONDUCT REQUIREMENTS**
- Follow the Rules and Regulations of the GDC.
- Required to be “inspection ready” concerning
your cell, your property, and your person. A
Management Team member will make rounds
within the living unit daily.
- Register concerns in an appropriate manner to
any inspection team member.
- Appropriately dressed when leaving cell.
- Movement within dorm is under direct escort by
Security/Staff.
- No boisterous, profane, vulgar or obscene
language.
- Participation in homosexual behavior or any
sexual behavior (masturbation) or activity with
any person will subject you to major disciplinary
action.
- No trading, swapping or lending anything, no
matter how small in value or size will take place
between you and other offenders.
- Do not interfere or hinder a staff member from
their duty.
- All orders and instructions given to you by
prison staff is considered an official order which
you must obey.
- Do not perform any careless, reckless, negligent
or willful act/behavior which causes a fire or
unsafe situation.
- At no time shall a prison locking device or any
security equipment be removed or tampered
within any manner. If you deliberately damage
state property, you will be given a DR
(Disciplinary Report) and your account will be
temporarily frozen, pending the results of the
DR hearing. If you are found guilty, your
account will be permanently frozen until you
have paid for the damage in full.
An offender is given the opportunity to progress through the
four (4) levels of the program based upon his behavior and
ability to adjust. Movement between the Levels is based
upon the offender meeting or failing to meet the
expectations outlined in the offender’s individualized
treatment plan. Progress through the levels is contingent on
mental health program compliance and therapeutic progress.
In general, levels should be dropped or increased one (1)
level at a time.
**MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SERVICES**
The SMHTU Mental Health Counselor will make rounds
daily. The SMHTU Mental Health Counselor will provide
individual counseling sessions in the therapeutic modules or
restart chairs. Activity Therapy may be provided at the cell
front or in the therapeutic modules or restart chairs. All
appointments with psychiatry/psychology and group therapy
will be held in the therapeutic modules or restart chairs.
The Mental Health Treatment Team in collaboration with the
offender will develop his Treatment Plan during Basic Level
of the SMHTU Mental Health Program. The Mental Health
Treatment Plan will be utilized to measure the offender’s
progress or lack of progress within the program. The
SMHTU Mental Health Counselor in conjunction with the
Mental Health Treatment Team may modify the offender’s
Treatment Plan as warranted, depending on his
conduct/behavior while moving through any one of the
levels.
The SMHTU Mental Health Counselor will complete an
informal 30-day contact to assist with the determination if an
offender will move from one (1) level to another.
At the end of 60 days, a formal 60-day review will be
completed. The SMHTU Mental Health Counselor in
conjunction with the SMHTU Mental Health Treatment
Team will make recommendations to the offender about
treatment goals and readiness for progressing up a level.
The Team will recommend and approve the following
recommendation:
Retained in the current Level of SMHTU MH Program
Reassignment to a lower Level of SMHTU MH Program
Reassignment to a higher Level of SMHTU MH Program
Reassignment to a Transition Program.
The SMHTU Mental Health Team and Security Unit
Manager may meet with the SMHTU offender to discuss
exemplary behavior or significant misbehavior. Sanctions or
rewards will also be discussed.
Retention Schedule: Completed forms shall be placed in the offender’s mental health file. At the end of the offender’s need for mental health services and/or sentence, the mental health file shall be placed within the offender’s health
record and retained for ten (10) years.
SOP 508.23
Attachment 5
04/27/18
# **SMHTU Mental Health Program Privilege List**
|Col1|Basic|Intermediate|Advanced|Ultimate Level|Col6|Col7|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
**Personal Property**|
Limited to State Issued Only
(Hygiene Items-See Below)|
Limited to State Issued Only (Hygiene
Items-See Below)
|
Limited to State Issued Only (Hygiene
Items, Photo Albums-See Below)|
Limited to State Issued Only (Hygiene
Items, Photo Albums-See Below)|
All Personal Property
May have CD player, up to 10 CD’s, 4
batteries, 1 headphone, mp3, mp4, or tablet|
All Personal Property
May have CD player, up to 10 CD’s, 4
batteries, 1 headphone, mp3, mp4, or tablet|
|
**Commissary**|
$15 Commissary (Restricted
Store Items) after completion of
Orientation
|
$15 Commissary (Restricted Store
Items)|
$30 Commissary (Restricted Store
Items)|
$30 Commissary (Restricted Store
Items)|
Up to $40 for commissary (restricted store
list)|
Up to $40 for commissary (restricted store
list)|
|
**Telephone**|
(1)-15 min. call/month|
(2)-15 min calls/month|
Up to (3)-15 min. calls/month
|
Up to (3)-15 min. calls/month
|
Up to (4) – 15 min call per month|
Up to (4) – 15 min call per month|
|**Recreation**
**(unstructured activity**
**– M-F)**|
2 hours per day|
2 hours per day|
2 hours per day|
2 hours per day|
2 hours per day
(additional hours as an incentive)|
2 hours per day
(additional hours as an incentive)|
|**Television (in cell)**
**Television**|None
|None
Television time (1 hr) will be as a Daily
ACTIVITY and utilized as an Incentive
(Extra Television time)|None
Television time (1 hr) will be as a
Daily ACTIVITY and utilized as an
Incentive (Extra Television time)
|None
Television time (1 hr) will be as a
Daily ACTIVITY and utilized as an
Incentive (Extra Television time)
|None
Television time (1 hr) will be as a Daily
ACTIVITY and utilized as an Incentive
(Extra Television time)
|None
Television time (1 hr) will be as a Daily
ACTIVITY and utilized as an Incentive
(Extra Television time)
|
|
**Visitation**|
One (1) Non-contact per month
for up to 2 hours (2 visitors only)|
Up to Two (2) Non-contact per month
for up to 2 hours (2 visitors only)|
Up to Three (3) Non-contact per month
for up to 2 hours
(2 visitors only)|
Up to Three (3) Non-contact per month
for up to 2 hours
(2 visitors only)|Up to Three (3) Non-contact per month for
up to 2 hours
(2 visitors only)
{Additional visitation as an incentive)|Up to Three (3) Non-contact per month for
up to 2 hours
(2 visitors only)
{Additional visitation as an incentive)|
|**Clothing**|State issued jumpsuits and
footwear|State issued jumpsuits and footwear
|State issued jumpsuits and footwear
|State issued jumpsuits and footwear
|State issued jumpsuits and footwear|State issued jumpsuits and footwear|
|**Shaving**|3x wk, clippers|3x wk, clippers|3x wk clipper shave, daily|3x wk clipper shave, daily|3x wk clipper shave, daily|3x wk clipper shave, daily|
|**Showers**|3x/wk out of cell|3x/wk out of cell|3x/wk out of cell|3x/wk out of cell|3x/wk out of cell|3x/wk out of cell|
|**Mental Health**
**Programming**
**(structured activity-**
**M-F)**
|Groups and Individual Treatment
including
Activity Therapy in
Therapeutic Modules
(10 hours out-of-cell
activities per week)
*food incentives-AT/Individual
Mental Health|Groups and Individual Treatment
including
Activity Therapy in
Therapeutic Modules
(10 hours out-of-cell activities per
week)
*food incentive-group participation|Groups and Individual Treatment
including
Activity Therapy in
Therapeutic Modules
(10 hours out-of-cell activities per
week)
*food incentives of group participation|Groups and Individual Treatment
including
Activity Therapy in
Therapeutic Modules
(10 hours out-of-cell activities per
week)
*food incentives of group participation|Groups and Individual Treatment including
Activity Therapy in
Therapeutic Modules/chairs
(10 - 20 hours out-of-cell activities per
week)
*food incentives of group participation|Groups and Individual Treatment including
Activity Therapy in
Therapeutic Modules/chairs
(10 - 20 hours out-of-cell activities per
week)
*food incentives of group participation|
Retention Schedule: Completed forms shall be placed in the offender’s mental health file. At the end of the offender’s need for mental health services and/or sentence, the mental health file shall be placed within the offender’s health
record and retained for ten (10) years.
|Mail|Personal /Legal Mail excludes
pictures (see below)|Personal /Legal Mail excludes pictures
(see below)|Personal /Legal Mail (see below)|Personal/Legal Mail/magazine subscriptions
(see below)|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Library**|LEGAL (per institutional
schedule)|LEGAL (per institutional schedule)|GENERAL AND LEGAL (per
institutional schedule)|GENERAL AND LEGAL (per institutional
schedule)|
|**Restraints**|Handcuffs at a minimum|Handcuffs at a minimum
|Handcuffs at a minimum
|Handcuffs at a minimum
(as an incentive in other areas where
offenders are not handcuffed)|
|**In-Cell Leisure**
**Activities**
**(Reading Materials,**
**Art Materials,**
**Puzzles, mp3, mp4, tablets) **|
1x per week|
2x per week|
3x per week|
Daily|
|
**SecurePak**|
None|
None|
All|
All|
|
**Personal Packages**
|
None|
None|
2x per year|
Quarterly
|
### **SMHTU Mental Health Program Property Allowance**
Envelopes 25
Letters 20 (provided they fit into one 10 x 13 manila envelope)
Pencils 2
Pens 2
Stamps 20 (need proof of ownership)
Toothbrush 1 (Offender may keep personal toothbrush in exchange for state issued toothbrush)
Toothpaste 2
Tablet 1
Approved Religious Text
Religious pendants w/necklace
Prayer rug
Kufi / Yarmulke
Shower Shoes 1 Pair (Offender may keep personal shower shoes until the facility provides state issued shower shoes)
### **SMHTU Mental Health Program Incentives**
Personal photographs (total 20 in possession)
Sketch pad (1)
Colored pencils (1 small box of 10-12)
Extra reading material (books, magazines) or in-house library services
Puzzle book (1) and sheets
Extra hygiene items
Food items or allowed to order 2 items out of 5 approved store items
Greeting cards
1 small cup for drinks
Loaner television (depends on the facility)
[Other incentives as available and appropriate, e.g. jigsaw puzzles, music, films/documentaries of therapeutic value]
Retention Schedule: Orientation form shall be posted in the mental health area until replaced or obsolete. Completed forms shall be placed in the offender’s mental health file. At the end of the offender’s need for mental
health services and/or sentence, the mental health file shall be placed within the offender’s health record and retained for 10 years.