Forensic Pre-Trial Program
The purpose of the Okaloosa County Forensice Pre-Trial Program is to reduce criminal incarceration and mental health hospitalizations through community based behavioral health intervention services. Addressing these issues will lower costs of incarceration, length of incarceration and recidivism. The program began on January 1, 2020.
The Bridgeway Center Forensic Pre-Trial Program facility is located at:
205 Shell Ave. Building D
Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548
Phone: (850) 200-0094 option 3
FDCF contracted with Big Bend Community Based Care, Inc., (BBCBC) to administer their programs in Okaloosa County. Okaloosa County Pretrial Services and BCI will work in conjunction with the Judiciary, State Attorney and Public Defenders Offices to provide this program to eligible individuals. The Forensic Pre-Trial Program (MHPP) is a voluntary, accountability program that requires participants to be actively involved in recovery. The MHPP will be utilized in several different ways: 1) as a condition of bond 2) as a condition of Mental Health Court and 3) as a condition of sentence. The program can serve up to 15 participants at time; up to ninety (90) days. The participants can be a combination of both occupants, and those that live in the community who come to the program daily.
The MHPP will provide comprehensive, integrated behavioral health services and care coordination with community providers, supports, and the judicial system. Participants are diagnosed with a mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance use condition which may have contributed to their arrest. The MHPP Program will use a recovery oriented system of care model that works through the collaboration of the pre-trial release system, the State Attorney, defense attorneys, judges, probation authorities, and local behavioral health service providers. Recovery planning is designed to meet the individual needs of each person with the input of their support system.
Bridgeway Center, Inc. is excited to be a partner with Okaloosa County in this health initiative to promote individual wellness and positively impact public safety.