Integrated Mental Illness, Substance Use and Trauma Treatment and Reentry Program

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 criminal justice 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.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections will use their FY 2008 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (Implementation & Expansion) funds to implement a trauma-Substance Use/Mental Illness program that is integrated with a reentry program to improve clinical, behavioral, and social outcomes for female offenders with mental health, substance abuse, and trauma problems. All incarcerated women at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (EMCFW), the only female prison in NJ, who are eligible for release to the community in 12-18 months will be recruited. 1000 women are released annually from EMCFW. Release dates depend on decisions made by the State Parole Board (for those released on parole) and a 'max' date (for those required to serve their full sentences) and, as such can be reasonably approximated by staff 18 months prior to release. To be eligible, the women must be 18 years or older, convicted of non-violent offenses only, English-speaking, test positive for substance dependence in the month prior to incarceration, have full or sub-threshold post traumatic stress disorder, and have a DSM-IV Axis I mental disorder. Exclusion criteria include: active psychosis or organic brain impairment limiting the ability to give informed consent, high risk for suicide, currently on suicide watch or having been on suicide watch in the past 3 months, a reasonable expectation of being released to another institutional setting (not to the community), or convicted of a violent offense. Recruitment will occur until 100 eligible women are enrolled.

CA/NCF