Ceremony marks milestone for program serving men with severe and persistent mental illness in Winston-Salem, NC

The Forsyth County Detention Center and NaphCare, a leading provider of correctional healthcare services, recently celebrated the graduation of the latest class of participants from the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU), their jail-based behavioral health program, in a milestone ceremony attended by Forsyth County command staff and community leaders who came together to recognize the hard work, resilience, and commitment shown by each graduate.

The BHU is a unit within the Forsyth County Detention Center that can house up to 20 men for NaphCare’s specialized, jail-based behavioral health program serving men with severe and persistent mental illness that prevents them from functioning safely in the facility’s general population. Participation is voluntary, and patients must actively engage to remain enrolled, an approach that honors personal agency and builds the internal motivation that lasting change requires.

The three-month program stabilizes patients through medication management, daily group therapy, and weekly individual counseling, equipping them with practical coping skills to manage their symptoms and navigate life’s challenges. After completing the program, the patient graduates to the general population with two months of support from dedicated NaphCare team members and ongoing comprehensive healthcare services to ensure continuity of care.

“Patients participate in two group sessions a day. Which, if you break that down, they are participating in close to 146 groups over three months,” said Joshua Bowen, who has been a Mental Health Practitioner and therapist in the BHU since it was founded in 2021. “There are a lot of myths about people in jail and what jail looks like, but these are people who care. These guys take care of each other.”

The graduation ceremony was made especially meaningful by heartfelt video and voice messages from family members and loved ones offering support and encouragement. One young graduate told the audience that he had entered the program “a stranger to myself” and was leaving having, for the first time, learned to value who he is. Turning to participants still working toward their own graduation, he urged them to take full advantage of the opportunity and never underestimate their potential.

By addressing the most common causes of recidivism—serious mental illness and maladaptive coping mechanisms—NaphCare’s behavioral health program in the Forsyth County Detention Center gives participants an opportunity to make real change and break these cycles, improving individual outcomes and supporting safe communities. The behavioral health program holds graduation ceremonies quarterly.

About NaphCare

NaphCare is a correctional healthcare provider founded and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, delivering medical, mental health, dental, pharmacy, and substance use treatment services in jails, prisons, and other correctional settings nationwide. Guided by its Proactive Care Model and supported by its proprietary TechCare technology platform, NaphCare partners with custody agencies to provide high-quality, patient-centered care that prepares individuals for a successful return to their communities.

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