Skip to content

Archive

Increasing the Number of Stepping Up Innovator Counties in California
The Stepping Up initiative encourages counties to reduce the number of people with mental illness in county jail systems. Counties in California are increasingly focusing their efforts on addressing mental illness in the criminal justice system, but one of the barriers to making progress in this work is accurately identifying who has mental illness in jail systems and collecting data on this population. This webinar will provide an overview of the recommended three-step approach for identifying mental illness in jails that is required to be a Stepping Up Innovator. The webinar will feature representatives from California’s two recognized Innovator Sites, Calaveras County and San Luis Obispo County, who will discuss their screening, assessment, and data collection processes. There will also be time for questions and answers on the webinar. Read More
Stepping Up and Data-Driven Justice: Using Data to Identify and Serve People who Frequently Utilize Health, Human Services and Justice Systems
In Part 2 of the webinar series with the Data-Driven Justice Initiative, this webinar featured counties that have implemented policies and practices that identify frequent utilizers of these systems and use this information to connect people with appropriate treatment and services. Read More
Three Steps to Identifying and Collecting Data on People with Mental Illnesses
This webinar gave an overview of the recommended approach for identifying and collecting data on people with mental illness in jails. The three steps include: 1) using a shared definition of serious mental illness across justice and behavioral health systems; 2) screening people booked into jail using a validated screening tool for serious mental illness and referring people who screen positive for assessment; and 3) recording screening and assessment information electronically and regularly reporting out on this population Read More
Stepping Up Four Key Measures Case Studies
The Stepping Up Four Key Measures Case Studies serve as a quick reference to the strategies highlighted in this series and share suggested sub-measures associated with each of these measures to help counties better collect and analyze their data. Read More
Stepping Up Your Efforts to Reduce Mental Illness in Jails
This webinar gave an overview of how counties can start or re-engage their Stepping Up planning and implementation process, following the Stepping Up Six Questions Framework Read More
Four Key Measures 2: Shortening the Length of Stay in Jail for People with Mental Illnesses
This webinar focused on how counties can measure average length of stay at the jail and how counties can shorten average length of stay at the jail for people with mental illness Read More
Four Key Measures 1: Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses Booked into Jails
This webinar focused on how counties can measure bookings at the jail and how counties can reduce jail bookings for people with mental illness Read More
Stepping Up: Collect Data to Drive Change
Stepping Up is helping counties collect accurate, accessible data on the number of people entering their jails who have mental illnesses, a critical first step for developing a comprehensive plan to create meaningful reductions in the number of people in jails who have mental illnesses. Read More
Douglas County, Kan.: Using Mental Health Screening and Assessment to Serve Individuals with the Most Needs
In 2015, recognizing a need to relieve jail overcrowding and identify alternatives to jail for people with mental illnesses, Douglas County, Kan., leaders sought out policy and practice changes that could be put into place that would lead to better outcomes for their residents. The County Board of Commissioners supported the development of a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to enhance collaboration among the various agencies and systems (including other municipal law enforcement agencies) needed to work on this issue. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a U.S. Department of Justice’s Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) grant and worked with the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and the University of Kansas to develop the Assist-Identify-Divert (AID) Program. Read More