FY 2009 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program

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.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will use fiscal year 2009 JMHCP Category II funds to support the planning and implementation of a statewide cross system training program in an effort to better equip correctional and treatment systems to help reduce recidivism of reentering offenders with mental health and/or co-occurring substance abuse disorders. The proposed program will offer specialized training and technical assistance to both criminal justice and mental health system personnel. Grant activities will also support planning and development of tools to improve screening, assessment, referral, and treatment for reentering offenders in need of services.

CA/NCF