Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $250,000)
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.
Under Category II Planning and Implementation, the County of Jasper will implement the Jasper County Mental Health Court. The Mental Health Court will increase public safety through developing and enhancing an innovative cross-system collaborative, evidence-based response to offenders suffering from substance abuse, mental health or co-occurring disorders. The Jasper County Mental Health Court will be a post plea, pre-sentencing program, designed to follow mentally ill offenders for a period of six months. Services will include screening, assessment, intensive case management, psychiatric care (which will include psychiatric assessment, medication management, and access to psychiatric medications for those without medical coverage) and referrals to other peer, advocacy, vocational and other resources as appropriate. Award funds will assist in the development of a broad-based group of stakeholders representing the criminal justice, mental health, substance abuse treatment and related systems to guide the planning and administration of the court.
CA/NCF