Archive

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 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

Through a culture of collaboration, Johnson County, Kan., has developed numerous systems and processes to help collect, share and use data on individuals who come into contact with their county’s justice and human services systems, including those with behavioral health needs. The county uses these systems and processes to inform policy and funding priorities to better identify individuals with mental health treatment needs and connect them to services. Read More

Johnson County, Iowa, has been working on jail diversion since 2005 and has seen dramatic reductions in its jail population due to the foundation leaders created through the Crim­inal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) and other efforts. Johnson County’s CJCC engages county and city leadership from law enforcement, behavioral health and the courts, as well as state leadership to help drive changes. One way leaders have continued the momentum and changed the community dialogue around these issues is by using data to help tell the story of the individuals they are trying to help and the potential impact of making changes to policies and programs. Read More

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

This webinar discussed strategies for how counties can set their baselines on the Stepping Up Four Key Measures Read More

In this webinar, national and county behavioral health and criminal justice experts and practitioners discuss how they identify people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders at jail intake and effective practices for screening and assessing for risk of recidivism. They also outline effective methods to accurately count the number of individuals with mental illnesses in their jails and how they have been able to use this information to inform policy, practice and resource allocation decisions. Read More