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New App Can Help Community Members Experiencing Mental Health Crisis
By Christopher Seeley, MSW, American Psychiatric Association Foundation Sometimes the symptoms of an individual’s mental illness can impact their ability to make decisions about getting the treatment they need. A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) is a legal document that individuals can use to make a plan before a crisis occurs to help ensure that their needs and preferences for care are known. A PAD also allows the individual to identify… Read More
The Growth of Telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Christopher Seeley, MSW, American Psychiatric Association Foundation Connecting people to care is vitally important for preventing further engagement in the justice system. That’s why it’s among the key measures that the Stepping Up initiative encourages counties to understand. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, connections to treatment for this… Read More
Stepping Up Monterey County System Mapping Project
As part of their Stepping Up initiative, leaders in Monterey County, California, engaged the CSG Justice Center to work with county stakeholders to map current policies, processes, and resources for people with behavioral health needs who enter the criminal justice system. This report presents recommendations for system improvements, including feedback… Read More
Stepping Up Announces Set, Measure, Achieve: A Nationwide Call to Action for Counties to Reduce Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System
WASHINGTON, DC, September 23, 2020—The Stepping Up initiative today announced Set, Measure, Achieve, a national call to action for counties to publicly commit to goals that demonstrate reduced prevalence of mental illness in local justice systems. Stepping Up is asking participating counties to set tangible targets,… Read More
New Innovators Bernalillo County and Fulton County Prioritize Treatment
Since the Stepping Up initiative launched five years ago, a number of counties have been designated as Stepping Up Innovators. This growing cohort is made up of jurisdictions that successfully collect and use data on their jail populations with serious mental illnesses to inform policies and practices. The latest… Read More
Stepping Up Marks Five Years of Innovation
As counties continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, one area that cannot be ignored is the mental health of county residents. May is national Mental Health Awareness Month and also marks the five-year anniversary of Stepping Up. Stepping Up is a national initiative to reduce the number of… Read More
Safely Releasing People from Jail during COVID19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, jails are facing many questions about how to successfully release people who may be vulnerable to the virus and are detained for low-level offenses. This webinar presents The Council of State Governments Justice Center’s new checklist of considerations for release during the pandemic, particularly regarding… Read More
How to Prioritize in a Sea of Challenges: Guidance for Counties
Counties are often faced with an array of unique funding and capacity pressures. During crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever for county officials to prioritize where and how they use their already-limited resources. The latest brief from Stepping Up’s In Focus series—Prioritizing Policy, Practice,… Read More
Stepping Up for COVID-19: Resources & Information
To successfully overcome the COVID-19 crisis, we must rely on local leadership and collaboration across local systems. In communities across the U.S., county employees, law enforcement, behavioral health and health care workers, and others have come together to ensure the well-being of our neighborhoods and vulnerable populations. In… Read More