Recognizing the critical role local and state officials play in supporting systems change, the National Association of Counties (NACo), the American Psychiatric Association Foundation and The Council of State Governments Justice Center launched the Stepping Up initiative in May 2015. Here is an overview of the initiative.
Stepping Up Next Phase Overview (PDF)
Stepping Up is calling on counties to establish processes to systematically identify people who have SMI who enter their jails. The goal is to have every county collecting accurate, accessible data on these individuals.
This document serves as a blueprint for counties to assess their existing efforts to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jail by considering specific questions and progress-tracking measures.
Stepping Up Six Questions: Project Coordinator’s Handbook (PDF)
This handbook is designed to complement the Stepping Up Six Questions framework as a step-by-step facilitation guide for project coordinators.
Download a Word document of the exercises in the handbook.
In Focus: Implementing Mental Health Screening and Assessment (PDF)
This brief focuses on implementing a mental health screening and assessment process, specifically to identify the number of people booked into jails who have serious mental illnesses (SMI).
Stepping Up Six Questions Case Studies (PDF)
These case studies serve as a quick reference to the counties and strategies highlighted in the Six Questions webinar series.
County Elected Officials’ Guide to the Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask (PDF)
This guide is designed to complement the Six Questions framework by providing context around the importance of each of the six questions and suggesting questions for county elected officials to ask of key stakeholders in their county.
This guide provides key talking points for county leaders to use when discussing their Stepping Up efforts with the media and the public.
Reducing Mental Illness in Rural Jails
The goal of this publication is to provide rural county leaders with ideas and strategies for addressing these challenges by providing examples of counties that have successfully done so or are making progress.