FFY2022/23 - JAG Crisis Intervention - State of Tennessee

The State of Tennessee, Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) has worked with its stakeholder board to identify three areas of priority for the FY 2022 - 2023 Byrne SCIP funds as follows: Behavioral Health Deflection for Those at Risk to Themselves or Others, Specialized Court-based Programs, and Community Violence Intervention Programs.

In determining the priority areas, the board examined several types of programs which it felt would meet the needs of communities across the state and that relied on evidence-based components. At their request, OCJP developed program abstracts which cover multiple SCIP priority areas due to the recognition that comprehensive evidence-based practices funded under SCIP should all have a goal of lessening the prevalence of gun violence in communities by implementing specialty programs which divert, deflect, or educate individuals who impact the level of violence found within communities.

Behavioral Health Deflection: The strategy of this program area is to identify individuals in crisis related to their  substance use or mental health issues and deflect them to community-based treatment and services as an alternative to making an arrest or taking no action. With successful deflection, projects funded under this program can reduce an individual’s likelihood to be involved in the criminal justice system, increase their access to community supports and reduce the likelihood they will engage in gun violence by providing treatment resources and support which are associated with a higher level of criminogenic risk.

Juvenile Court - Family Engagement Programs: The strategy of this program area is to identify and aid youths and their families in crisis during the pre-petition stage or just after an initial juvenile petition is filed. With successful intervention at this stage, the Juvenile Court - Family Engagement Programs prevent traumatic family separations which further destabilizes the youth and provide crucial support and services when people need them the most thus decreasing the risk of gun violence.
The program takes referrals from several different agencies and organizations, including schools, local police departments, community mental health agencies, juvenile court, and other community-based referral sources. The idea is to identify the child or their family while in crisis and provide them with evidence-based services that meets their individual needs, thus reducing the potential for gun violence.

Education and Training: The strategy of this program area is to identify education and training which align with the SCIP priority areas of: Behavioral Health Deflection, Specialized Court-based programs, and Community Violence Intervention. Under this program area education and training will be identified and can be provided to both professionals who work within the SCIP priority areas as well as non-practitioners or at-risk individuals who would benefit from education / training topics within the SCIP priority areas with a particular focus on crisis stabilization and gun violence and the programs and initiatives that address crisis management tools and target the risk factors that are likely to lead to gun violence.