Dr. Joshua White, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office first mental health professional, has left the department after six years.
White was a contracted employee of VitalCore Health Strategies, a company that provides health services to inmates. His career with the Sheriff’s Office involved therapeutic interventions and holistic care to Jefferson County inmates, working with the department’s crisis intervention team and connecting returning residents with resources to help lower recidivism rates.
After a lifelong interest in psychology, White began working with incarcerated individuals in St. Louis.
“I realized, ‘Wow, these people are really being forgotten. No one’s advocating for these individuals,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Let me work with them. Let me help.’”
The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported 44 percent of those incarcerated in local jails have a history of mental illness, which is twice the rate of mental illness in the general adult population.
The organization also reported that 63 percent of those incarcerated with a history of mental illness do not receive treatment while serving their sentence.
Jefferson County officials praised the progress White was able to achieve.
“Dr. White, for us, didn’t just fill a position. I think he changed lives,” Lt. Col. Tim Whitney, the undersheriff said. “He walked into a very difficult environment, that being the jail, with compassion, patience and professionalism, and helped a lot of people who are often facing their lowest moments.
“His impact on our jail, our staff and the people he served will be felt long after his departure.”
During his time with the Sheriff’s Office, suicide rates were lower among jail inmates and those who had left the jail after serving their sentence.
He said he is proud of the way mental health is now discussed within the jail and the first steps to reducing stigma surrounding mental health have already been taken.
White was hired by Centurion as the institutional chief of mental health services with the Department of Corrections at the Farmington Correctional Center.
White’s position with the Sheriff’s Office has already been filled, Whitney said.
“We’re really proud of the foundation that Dr. White was able to build, and now we’re able to build on that foundation,” he said.