Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2010, $200,000)
The Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) is funded through the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-414), which was reauthorized in 2008 (Public Law 110-416). The primary purpose of JMHCP is 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 mental health and other treatment services for those individuals with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Jurisdictions are eligible to apply for planning, planning and implementation, or expansion funding through JMHCP.
The Orange County Government applied for $200,000 in federal funds through the JMHCP Category 3: Expansion program. The goal of this program is to divert eligible offenders to appropriate mental health treatment, supervise them safely in the community, and reduce recidivism of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system. This expansion grant will provide funding for three new case manager positions and an evaluation program and data collection system. This expansion will allow for more assessment, intervention, and advocacy with offenders who demonstrate symptoms of mental illness.
According to the applicant, as a result of this award, 200 additional offenders will be screened for Mental Health Diversion eligibility, 75 additional offenders will be recommended for diversion, and 20 additional offenders will be granted access to the program every year. Additionally, an estimated 80% of program participants will successfully complete their treatment and successfully transition to independent living.
CA/NCF