Fulton County commissioners have approved spending $30,000 for transitional housing and case management for mental health clients of the Public Defender’s Office. County funds are to be matched by in-kind services worth $30,000 by United Way of Greater Atlanta.
The money will be for transitional housing services and case management of seven to 10 mental health clients at a time, with 30 to 40 Fulton County Jail inmates served annually.
The program seeks to assist clients suffering from substance abuse, medical and/or mental health problems. They are to be placed in treatment facilities as soon as possible after arrest as an alternative to incarceration.
A memorandum of understanding involving Fulton County, the Public Defender’s Office and United Way specifies that the program is for chronically homeless persons able to operate in a semi-independent, shared living situation.
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