Justice and Mental Health Collaboration - Category I: Planning

The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) seeks to increase public safety through an innovative, cross-system, collaborative response to individuals with mental illness who come in contact with the criminal or juvenile justice systems. This program is funded through Public Law 111-8 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009). 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 processed 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.

Macon County will use the planning grant funds to design sustainable structures that will intercept persons with mental disorders as early as possible during their involvement in the criminal justice system, using the Sequential Intercept Model. Project objectives are to: (1) increase collaboration among the criminal justice and behavioral health systems; (2) connect persons in the criminal justice system with mental health and co-occurring disorders with treatment services; (3) achieve an appropriate disposition of cases while enhancing public safety; and (4) monitor progress of treatment with intensive case management. The county anticipates that at least 40 government agencies, community service agencies, mental health advocacy organizations, consumers, and family members will participate in the strategic, collaborative planning process. The collaborative team will receive training in the Sequential Intercept Model, visit existing programs, collect baseline data, design appropriate strategies and interventions, and develop eligibility criteria, program requirements, training plans, and referral procedures. The team will conduct a three-month pilot project to test the project design.

CA/NCF