Mental Health Services

Laurie Mombay
Supervisory Therapist
Montgomery County Correctional Facility
Address: 22880 Whelan Lane, Boyds, Maryland 20841 | Telephone: (240) 773-9761

The Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) is committed to providing equal and timely access to mental health treatment for all inmates in the Department. Services are provided by qualified DOCR mental health staff who have stood the rigorous expectations of accrediting bodies such as the American Correctional Association.

The Mental Health Services section at MCCF is recognized for its excellent care and innovative programs that are offered to incarcerated individuals who suffer from serious and debilitating mental conditions. All mental health services and programs are delivered by a team of therapists and contract psychiatric nurse practitioners. The psychiatric nurse practitioners perform initial evaluations and follow-up assessments to monitor progress and medication needs. The psychiatric nurse practitioners serve the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Montgomery County Detention Center, Pre Release Center, and persons living in home confinement but still under DOCR custody.

Some of mental health services offered at MCCF include but are not limited to screening for suicide risk, mental health assessment, psychiatric evaluations, crisis intervention, individual therapy, pharmacotherapy, critical incident debriefing, creative arts and other additional programs depending on the level of functioning of the population.

Individualized and intensive services are tailored for acute or chronic individuals whose condition is so impaired that it precludes them from general population housing. These individuals require stabilization and treatment in the jail's Crisis Intervention Units (CIU) or in the male mental health Stepdown Unit. The Crisis Intervention Units (CIU) at MCCF exists to provide a safe, humane environment for incarcerated offenders suffering from acute or chronic mental illness which precludes them from effectively adapting to the general population environment. While the purpose of CIU housing is to offer a therapeutic environment and therapeutic interventions to stabilize individuals so they may safely return to general population, some individuals with serious chronic or acute conditions may remain in CIU or the Stepdown Unit for the duration of their incarceration.

The Mental Health Services staff works in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services who provide additional therapeutic services for incarcerated offenders. The services provided by our HHS partners include: Clinical Assessment and Transition Services (CATS) and Jail Addictions Services (JAS).

Finally, Mental Health Services staff is also responsible for the coordination of emergency commitments to state hospitals and for facilitating on-site space for competency screenings ordered by the Court. CIU receive extensive mental health training. Competency to stand trial refers to a defendant's ability to understand the charges against them and their ability to cooperate with legal counsel in the preparation of their defense. If the court suspects that a defendant may lack competence to stand trial because of a mental illness or intellectual deficit, the court may order a competency screening evaluation by a court appointed provider. If the diagnostic screener finds that competency evaluation needs to be performed, the defendant is ordered to a State hospital for a full competency evaluation and restoration.

There are opportunities for graduate students in mental health counseling or social work complete internships with the department for academic credit. Please contact us if you have an interest in interning with the mental health team.

Mental Health Services

Services Information