BSCC BSCC - Board of State and Community Corrections Mental Health and Substance Abuse Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under California law, which screening tool is commonly used during jail intake to identify inmates with serious mental health needs?
- COMPAS
- Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS) (Correct answer)
- PCL-R
- LSI-R
Correct answer: Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS)
The Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS) is a validated, brief instrument used during jail intake to identify inmates who may have serious mental health disorders.
Question 2: When an inmate is exhibiting symptoms of a mental health crisis, what is the FIRST action a corrections officer should take?
- Immediately place the inmate in a restraint chair
- Ensure the immediate safety of staff and the inmate, then notify mental health staff (Correct answer)
- Issue a rules violation report
- Transfer the inmate to general population
Correct answer: Ensure the immediate safety of staff and the inmate, then notify mental health staff
The first priority is safety for all involved, followed by notifying qualified mental health personnel to assess and respond to the crisis.
Question 3: California Title 15 requires that inmates identified as seriously mentally disordered receive a mental health evaluation within how many hours of identification?
- 4 hours
- 12 hours
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 72 hours
Correct answer: 24 hours
Title 15 mandates that once an inmate is identified as potentially seriously mentally disordered, a qualified mental health professional must evaluate them within 24 hours.
Question 4: Which federal act requires jails to provide reasonable accommodations to inmates with mental health disabilities?
- Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Correct answer)
- Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
- Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA)
Correct answer: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires correctional facilities to provide reasonable accommodations so inmates with disabilities, including mental health conditions, have equal access to programs and services.
Question 5: What does the term 'co-occurring disorder' mean in a correctional mental health context?
- An inmate who has committed multiple offenses
- An inmate with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder (Correct answer)
- Two inmates sharing the same psychiatric diagnosis
- A disorder that develops only inside a correctional facility
Correct answer: An inmate with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder
A co-occurring disorder refers to an individual who has both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder simultaneously, which is common in the incarcerated population.
Question 6: Which behavior by an inmate would MOST likely indicate acute substance withdrawal requiring immediate medical attention?
- Requesting extra commissary items
- Tremors, sweating, confusion, and possible seizures (Correct answer)
- Refusing to attend a program
- Sleeping more than usual
Correct answer: Tremors, sweating, confusion, and possible seizures
Physical symptoms such as tremors, diaphoresis, confusion, and seizures are signs of serious withdrawal (especially from alcohol or benzodiazepines) that require immediate medical evaluation.
BSCC BSCC - Board of State and Community Corrections Mental Health and Substance Abuse Questions and Answers 1
Under California law, which screening tool is commonly used during jail intake to identify inmates with serious mental health needs?