2.5 Deputy Probation Officers supervise approximately 90 cases of Mentally Ill offenders. The “MIPS” (mentally ill probationers) program allows up to 50 participants, so the remaining individuals on this caseload receive treatment services from Mental Health Adult services, as well as community-based organizations. The growing number of probationers with co-occurring disordered probationers, (mental illness plus drug addiction) receive services from Mental Health Systems, allowing for a crossover of services between the Mentally Ill and Proposition 36 probationers and others.

In 2005, Probation participated in the Mental Health Criminal Justice Task Force on a monthly basis, chaired by Supervisor Shirley Bianchi. Attendees included the offices of the Court, District Attorney, Public Defender, Mental Health, Office of Administration, Sheriff, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, EOC, Public Guardian, Probation and the Health Commission. The coordinated efforts of the Task Force, through the leadership of Judge John Trice, produced the implementation of an Adult Mental Health Court. The Task Force has implemented countywide Crisis Intervention Training and is working towards the development of a Multidisciplinary Team to deal more effectively with the mentally ill who touch the criminal justice system.