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Fairfax County, Va., launched its Diversion First initiative in 2015 to offer alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illnesses and/or developmental disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low-level offenses. The initiative began with an initial 40-person stakeholder group that has expanded to more than 180 members who meet quarterly as a whole and participate in various work groups on issues such as data and evaluation, communications, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and more. Through every step of the initiative, the leadership and stakeholders’ groups communicate to the community about the work being done and the potential impact of these efforts to gain and maintain public support and trust. 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

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

The National Association of Counties and its partners at the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation hosted a live video panel discussion commemorating two years of Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails. Panelists discuss the progress their counties have made as part of the initiative and the continuing challenges and barriers they face to eliminating the use of jails as a response to people experiencing mental health crises. Read More

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

On this call, counties engage in a facilitated discussion on the second question of the “Six Questions” document: Do we conduct timely screening and assessment? Read More

This webinar discussed the importance of timely screening and assessment in jails and provided examples of processes that counties can use to screen people booked into jail for mental illness Read More

Stepping Up: The California Summit -- Jan. 19, 2017 -- State leaders discuss ways to establish a foundation across California on which to build and harness the extraordinary momentum of the summit. Read More

Stepping Up: The California Summit -- Jan. 19, 2017 -- Collaboration between criminal justice and behavioral health agencies is necessary to ensure appropriate levels of care and supervision for people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. Speakers explore federal and state laws, while providing guidance to overcome challenges. Read More