From the desk of Deborah Blalock, CDMHC Executive Director, regarding recent Hassenplug Awardee, Tamara Starnes:
“Tamara is the manager of forensic services. As such, she overseas CDMHC staff at the Charelston Detention Center, CDMHC staff of the Charleston County Mental Health Court, CDMHC staff at the Charleston County Department of Juvenile Justice, and CDMHC staff embedded in the Dee Norton Low Country Children’s Center.
As an outstanding manager, Tamara is extremely knowledgeable of the intricacies of all of her complicated programs. Because her world collides with that of law enforcement she is also very knowledgeable about the collisions between law enforcement and mental health.
In 2004, Mary Lynn’s Law (MLL) was enacted in reaction to the murder of a Charleston County school teacher. One of the provisions of MLL prohibited folks on probation from participating in specialty courts such as Drug Courts and Mental Health Courts. This provision was not based in any sort of factual information. It negatively impacted the appropriate use of specialty courts, such as Drug Courts or Mental Health Courts. It negatively impacted the appropriate use of specialty courts as an alternative to jail for non-violent folks with mental illness who were also on probation. It halted recovery for these folks. Because of her role, Tamara was painfully aware of all the folks who were languishing in jail rather than being appropriately served by mental health court. While Tamara was witnessing this unintended consequence of the rapidly written MLL, she was participating in the South Carolina Certified Public Manager’s program, an intensive 18 month program offered by the Office of Human Resources of the Budget and Control Board of SC. One of the required activities prior to graduation from the prestigious program is the completion of a project that will impact the author’s state agency’s effectiveness or efficiency. Tamara decided to write a research paper regarding the detrimental effects of barring non-violent probationers from specialty courts. Tamara gathered extensive evidence regarding the lack of data demonstrating the intended value of this provision and also collected data supporting just the opposite.
Her research was so compelling that Tamara’s project was actually awarded the South Carolina Askew Award, the award earned by the best project from the class of 50 of South Carolina’s best and brightest up and coming managers. Her project will soon compete for the National Askew award.
Once she completed her project, we were able, with the help of folks at the South Carolina Hospital association, to get it before State Representative Murrell Smith, the author of MLL. He was so impressed with Tamara’s research and findings that he sponsored an amendment to MLL that would allow non-violent probationers back into specialty courts. In the 2010 spring session of the general assembly, Rep. Smith’s amendment, based on Tamara’s paper, was made law.
So as a result of the initiative, insight, and intelligence of Tamara Starnes, a CDMHC employee, the lives of non-violent probationers living with mental illnesses may be forever improved! They may now participate in specialty courts and begin the journey of recovery, rather than being left to languish in detention centers. Tamara is one of the few SCDMH employees who will positively impact the lives of those she has never met, now and for decades to come.”
