Improving Behavioral Health Outcomes Through Criminal Justice and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHCs) Partnerships

Adults with serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorders (SUDs) are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. The purpose of this visiting fellowship is to promote the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model to justice partners as an opportunity to better integrate systems and improve outcomes for people with SMI and/or SUDs. Fellowship activities will include material development, information dissemination, conducting interviews, and technical assistance. Major deliverables are written reports, conferences presentations, qualitative analysis of interviews with law enforcement who partner with a CCBHC, and technical assistance. Interviews will be used to understand the benefits of cross-systems partnerships to improve job satisfaction and mental wellbeing among law enforcement. This project is national in scope and expected beneficiaries are justice stakeholders and communities who develop or expand a CCBHC-justice partnership.