New Handbook Offers Resources, Tips for Leading Mental Health Court Training

The CSG Justice Center’s Handbook for Facilitators is a companion resource to Developing a Mental Health Court: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum, a free online multimedia training that features a flexible series of engaging and comprehensive presentations and activities for people or groups interested in starting, improving, or learning more about mental health courts.

The new handbook includes:

• Facilitation tips to help trainers plan and lead effective trainings using the curriculum;
• Steps for customizing the curriculum to the needs of specific jurisdictions;
• Guides to each curriculum module that include learning objectives, frequently asked questions, and resources and tips for facilitators;
• An overview of adult learning principles to help facilitators make their trainings as effective as possible;
• Knowledge retention strategies to help participants retain and continue to use what they’ve learned after the training; and
• Appendices of resources and case studies.

The curriculum and its related materials were developed by the CSG Justice Center with the support of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and in partnership with the National Center for State Courts, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s GAINS Center, the National Judicial College, the Center for Court Innovation, and the Center for Social Innovation.