Community Counseling Solutions, Tri-County Community Corrections, and the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) have worked together closely over the years. However, the focus was not a fully integrated, collaborative, and comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of offenders with the end goal of reducing recidivism. 

With state Justice Reinvestment grant funds, Gilliam County sought to adopt a more formal approach to collaboration in hopes of better assessing a person’s risk of reoffending and providing a more comprehensive treatment plan unique to each offender. ​

Gilliam County funded a full-time clinician at Community Counseling Solutions (CCS) who received additional training and experience in working with criminal offenders. The clinician works jointly with parole and probation to conduct a formal assessment of each supervised offender and works out a detailed plan as to what that individual needs to succeed in the program. The clinician also works closely with the GCSO to provide pre-booking diversion options and begins providing “reach-in” services to Gilliam County inmates incarcerated at NORCOR (the regional adult and juvenile detention correctional facility). In doing so, Adults in Custody (AICs) receive the treatment and assistance they need to better prepare themselves for re-entry and increase the chances of successfully completing the program, thereby reducing their chances of re-offending. 

Under this program, the clinician also seeks to formalize interactions with criminal justice stakeholders to better provide the necessary care for offenders. The CCS clinician provides a training for law enforcement, parole and probation officers, and the district attorney in Gilliam County on how to identify mental illness and substance use problems. The clinician discusses at length proper treatment of individuals with these issues and the ways all agencies can work together to get people the help they need rather than incarcerating them. ​