Archive

Individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) have long advocated for addressing disparities in the behavioral health and criminal justice systems. Such pervasive inequities can be complex to understand and overwhelming to counties that are just starting to confront them. The Stepping Up framework offers a… Read More

In 2015, Johnson County joined the national Stepping Up initiative to reduce the prevalence of individuals with mental illness in jails and in 2016, committed to the Data-Driven Justice project to provide alternatives to jail for people who frequently cycle through health, human services and justice systems. As part of these efforts, the county partners with a nonprofit homeless services provider to identify individuals cycling through these various systems and offer low-barrier housing and other solutions to address the needs of county residents experiencing chronic homelessness. Read More

Join the Stepping Up partners for a webinar to discuss evidence-based strategies for addressing housing needs for people with mental illnesses who have had contact with the justice system. Stepping Up counties that are asking the Six Questions locally may be running into a common issue: the prevalence of homelessness among people with mental illnesses in jails and a lack of housing options for this most vulnerable population in their communities. This webinar features CSH’s FUSE model, which is a data-driven approach to creating and implementing supportive housing for high utilizers/frequent users of jails, shelters and other crisis services Read More

Counties are “Stepping Up” to reduce mental illness in their jails. Two challenges that people with mental illnesses face before, after and during their involvement with the justice system is right to counsel and access to housing. Both of these factors can have a significant impact on whether a person is arrested, how long he or she remains in jail, and his or her success after release. During this roundtable, national experts and county practitioners will discuss challenges and opportunities and outline how changing the provision of these services can help to reduce jail populations, save money and ensure the safety. Read More