Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program: Planning and Implementation

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.

Citrus County Board of County Commissioners will use Category II (Planning and Implementation Grants) Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program funds will support Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners project purposes are to reduce recidivism of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system and increase the quantity and quality of mental health and other services available to offenders with mental illnesses. The project goals are to divert clients to appropriate treatment settings prior to trial; enhance cross-system communication and coordination; promote consistent usage of proper medications; provide a support system that will assist persons to participate and remain in treatment; reduce the number of persons of low public safety risk with mental health or substance abuse issues in jail.

CA/NCF