Behavioral Health Support

CJRD provides behavioral health services to people in the Orange County Detention Center who have mental health and/or substance use needs. CJRD has two licensed clinical social workers on staff who advocate for release when appropriate so that needs can be served in the community by a network of behavioral health and other service providers, and who continue to work with people upon release to ensure that their needs are met.

If you are incarcerated in the Orange County Detention Center and would like to talk with one of our social workers about behavioral health, you can submit a request to see Allison Zirkel (ages 20 and up) or Tami Pfeifer (ages 19 and under) using the jail grievance form. 

If you know someone who is incarcerated in the Orange County Detention Center who has a behavioral health concern, you are welcome to contact Allison Zirkel (ages 20 and up) or Tami Pfeifer (ages 19 and under) using the contact information in the right-hand side bar or the applicable referral form below. 

Our Youth Behavioral Health Liaison also accepts referrals from juvenile court, schools, and community organizations.

Referral - Clinical Coordinator

Referral - Youth Behavioral Health Liaison

Referral - Clinical Coordinator - Printable

Referral - Youth Behavioral Health Liaison - Printable

Services Provided Include:

  • Assessment
  • Crisis support and brief counseling
  • Referrals to treatment
  • Court advocacy
  • Linkage to community supports
  • Release planning
  • Housing support
  • Follow up and support during the transition back to the community
  • Bridge to finding services to assist individuals and families upon release
  • Psychiatric (medication management) referral

Although jail-based mental health and substance use services are helpful to those in need, the Detention Center is not designed to serve as a treatment facility.  Individuals with these needs are best served in the community and we advocate for diversionary alternatives as well as for timely release from custody when safe and appropriate. However, for those who remain incarcerated, these services are valuable and will continue to be expanded in the future.

Approximately 2 million times each year, people who have serious mental illnesses are admitted to jails across the nation. Nearly 15% of men and 30% of women booked into jails have a serious mental health condition. Almost three-quarters of these adults also have drug and alcohol use problems. In counties across the nation, jails now house more people with mental illnesses than psychiatric hospitals. Once incarcerated, individuals with mental illnesses tend to stay longer in jail and are at a higher risk of returning to incarceration after release than those without these illnesses.

Partnership to End Homelessness

CJRD collaborates with the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness and participates in HOME Committee and Coordinated Entry Planning Committee meetings. Many unhoused individuals have encounters with law enforcement and are involved in the criminal justice system as a direct result of not having a place to call home. The collaboration between CJRD and the Partnership to End Homelessness provides an opportunity to serve this specific population, which includes some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

To learn about housing and other resources, visit the OC Connect Database

Behavioral Health Resources

Visit our Community Resources Guide to find specific behavioral health resources.