Project INTER-CEPT:Interventions Needed to End Recidivism-Critical Entry Point Treatment

The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) seeks to increase public safety through an innovative, cross-system collaborative response for individuals with mental illness who come in contact with the criminal or juvenile justice systems. This program is funded through the Public Law 110-161 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008) and is authorized through Public Law 108-414 (Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, 2004). The program is designed to increase public safety by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, and mental health and substance abuse treatment systems to increase access to services for offenders with mental illness. Activities under this initiative will encourage early intervention for "system-involved' individuals with mental illness; provide new and existing mental health courts with various treatment options; maximize diversion opportunities for non-violent offenders with mental illness and co-occurring disorders; promote training for justice and treatment professionals on criminaljustice processes and mental health and substance abuse issues; and facilitate communication, collaboration, and the delivery of support services among justice professionals, treatment and related service providers, and governmental partners.

Kanawha County Commission and Prestera Center for Mental Health Services will implement a planning initiative, Project INTER-CEPT (Interventions Needed To End Recidivism ' Critical Entry Point Treatment), which will focus on juveniles in the Kanawha County juvenile justice system. The purpose of the planning effort is to create a comprehensive framework of mental health and substance abuse services readily accessible to adolescents at all critical entry points into the Kanawha County juvenile justice system. The intent is to assist youth in becoming mature and responsible adults, while avoiding further illegal behaviors, and without endangering public safety.

Project INTER-CEPT will be implemented with the following goals: 1) to implement a systematic planning process that is inclusive, representing community service providers and governmental agencies, building consensus for a comprehensive set of recommendations and strategies to achieve the project purpose; 2) to focus on the identification of geographic, financial, social, cultural, and system strengths and barriers to accessing mental health and substance abuse services within the Kanawha County juvenile justice system; 3) to look at best practice mental health and substance abuse services designed to address the existing gaps in the resources available; 4) to design a blueprint for interagency collaboration that will facilitate the utilization of both new and existing treatment resources identified; and 5) to develop the process and mechanism for the collection and analysis of data required and utilized for project sustainability.

The grant funds will support contract services to secure a project coordinator, travel expenses for planning meetings, and computer laptops and printers.

CA/NCF