Resources Toolkit

The Stepping Up Resources Toolkit provides key resources intended to assist counties with developing and implementing a systems-level, data-driven plan that can lead to measurable reductions in the number of people with mental illnesses in local jails.

Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jail: Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask 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.

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Six questions county leaders need to ask:

  • Question 1: Is your leadership committed?

    Webinar 1 (2/2/17):
    Introduction to the “Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask”
    Network Call 1 (3/2/17):
    Introduction to the Network and Making the Six Questions Work for You

  • Question 2: Do you have timely screening and assessment?

    Webinar 2 (4/6/17):
    Conducting Timely Mental Health Screening and Assessment in Jails
    Network Call 2 (4/12/17):
    Conducting Mental Health Screening and Assessment in Jails

    Clarification on Network Call 2 (4/12/17), slide 11: A 2007 validation study of the Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS) found that for men, the tool is almost 74% accurate and for women, the tool is 54.9% accurate. However, in a subsequent 2015 re-validation study of the BJMHS the scale accurately classified 80% of men and 72% of women book into two Maryland and three New York jails.

  • Question 3: Do you have baseline data?

    Webinar 3 (5/11/17):
    Establishing Baseline Data for Mental Illness in Jails
    Network Call 3 (5/17/17):
    Establishing Baseline Data for Mental Illness in Jails

  • Question 4: Have you conducted a comprehensive process analysis and service inventory?

    Webinar 4 (6/29/17):
    Conducting a Comprehensive Process Analysis and Inventory of Services for People with Mental Illnesses in Jails
    Network Call 4 (7/6/17):
    Conducting a Comprehensive Process Analysis for People with Mental Illnesses in Jails

  • Question 5: Have you prioritized policy, practice, and funding?

    Webinar 5 (8/10/17):
    Prioritizing Policy Practice and Funding Improvements for People with Mental Illnesses in Jails
    Network Call 5 (8/16/17):
    Prioritizing Policy, Practice and Funding Improvements for People with Mental Illnesses in Jails

  • Question 6: Do you track progress?

    Webinar 6 (10/12/17):
    Tracking Progress on Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails
    Network Call 6 (10/19/17):
    Tracking Progress on Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails

  • Special Topics

    Webinar (03/15/18):
    Communicating About Your Efforts to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jail
    • Webinar (12/5/19)
    Webinar (11/9/17):
    Addressing Housing Needs of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails
    Network Call (11/16/17):
    Addressing Housing Needs of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails
    Webinar (4/26/18):
    Engaging People with Mental Illnesses in Your Planning Efforts
    Webinar (2/14/19):
    Stepping Up Your Efforts to Reduce Mental Illness in Jails
    Webinar (5/2/19):
    Three Steps to Identifying and Collecting Data on People with Mental Illnesses in Your Jail
    Webinar (6/27/19):
    Stepping Up 101: A Primer for Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists
    Webinar (10/10/19):
    Stepping Up and Data-Driven Justice: Using and Sharing Data Across Health, Human Services and Justice Systems to Improve Responses for People Who Have Mental Illnesses

Four key measures county leaders should track:

  • Key Measure 1: Jail Bookings

    Webinar 1 (6/7/18):
    Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses Booked into Jails

  • Key Measure 2: Jail Length of Stay

    Webinar 2 (8/2/18):
    Shortening the Length of Stay in Jail for People with Mental Illnesses

  • Key Measure 3: Connections to Treatment

    Webinar 3 (10/25/18):
    Increasing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses Connected to Treatment

    video recording unavailable

  • Key Measure 4: Recidivism

    Webinar 4 (12/12/18):
    Reducing Recidivism for People with Mental Illnesses in Jails

Additional Resources:

Have additional questions or need help? Email us at [email protected].

Webinar videos are courtesy of the National Association of Counties (NACo).

The technical assistance resources on this site have been prepared for participants in the Stepping Up Initiative. The guide is supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice under grant number 2012-CZ-BX-K071, which supports the National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC). These resources were developed by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, the National Association of Counties (NACo), and the American Psychiatric Foundation.