Archive

The jail is aware of state policy regarding the status of people’s Medicaid and SSI/SSDI benefits once they are booked into jail. If allowable, the jail staff suspends benefits upon booking and reactivates prior to release. If termination is required, jail personnel assists with re-applying for benefits so that they… Read More

Dispatchers and call-takers are trained to identify and appropriately respond to calls that may have a mental health component. This can include mental health awareness, verbal de-escalation techniques, appropriate triage and dispatch protocols, and coding of mental health calls. Read More

Judges and court staff–including public defenders, prosecutors, and pretrial services personnel–are trained to recognize and respond to people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. Read More

Law enforcement officers are trained to recognize and appropriately respond to people with mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders. Training commonly includes information about the signs and symptoms of mental illness and crisis management and intervention techniques. Read More

A process is established to screen people in the jail (and at any other points in the criminal justice system, as applicable) for Medicaid and Social Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability (SSDI) eligibility. Read More

Single definitions of mental illness and serious mental illness (SMI) are adopted and consistently used by local behavioral health systems, jail, courts, and probation and parole agencies for their Stepping Up efforts. This ensures that all systems are using the same measure to identify people who have mental illnesses and… Read More

One or more mental health professionals work within the jail to provide expertise and support for corrections personnel, as well as treatment, referrals, and support for people who have mental illnesses. Read More

Motivational interviewing is a participant-centric, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. It is an evidence-based practice that has been identified by researchers, experts, and practitioners as being effective for adults involved in the criminal justice system. Read More

Collaborating agencies develop partnership agreements, such as memoranda of understanding (MOU), that establish the roles and responsibilities of each agency. These agreements may also be used to support information-sharing between collaborating agencies (see also the “Information-sharing agreements” intervention). Read More