This guide from The Council of State Governments Justice Center is intended to support recipients of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) grants administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. It is not intended to serve as a step-by-step blueprint, but rather to foster discussion on best practices, identify considerations for collaborative efforts, and help programs work through key decisions and implementation challenges. The guide is divided into seven sections, each with assessment questions, exercises, and discussion prompts. Although the guide was developed as a tool for JMHCP grantees, the exercises and supporting resources may be helpful for other collaborative criminal justice and mental health programs.
This guide is tailored to JMHCP Category 3: Implementation and Expansion grantees. Please note that separate guides have been created for JMHCP Category 1: Collaborative County Approaches to Reducing the Prevalence of Individuals with Mental Disorders in Jail grantees; JMHCP Category 2: Strategic Planning for Law Enforcement and Mental Health Collaboration grantees; and for JMHCP Category 3 grantees that are implementing a police-mental health collaboration program.
The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice…
Read More
The affordable housing crisis has increased the need for new housing developments in communities across the U.S., particularly…
Read More
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), The…
Read More
Three Counties Receive In-Depth Assistance to Improve Crisis and Diversion Strategies
The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance with technical assistance from the CSG Justice Center, facilitates collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, and mental health and substance use treatment systems to better serve people with mental illnesses and increase public safety.
Read More
How Three Communities are Developing Supportive Housing to Improve Access for People with Behavioral Health Needs Leaving Incarceration
The affordable housing crisis has increased the need for new housing developments in communities across the U.S., particularly for people leaving prison and jail who have behavioral health needs. To support these efforts, some local leaders have started developing supportive housing, which is an evidence-based intervention that combines affordable housing with wraparound services and has no residency time limit.
Read More
Apply Now to Join a National Program for Criminal Justice and Mental Health Learning Sites
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center is seeking applicants to join the nationwide Criminal Justice-Mental Health Learning Sites Program, which will highlight effective approaches from crisis response through courts, jails, probation, and community-based programs.
Read More
Congress Approves the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act
With unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022 yesterday, officially approving the legislation sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Tom Emmer (R-MN). The bill will expand and improve upon the success of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) to give the country’s criminal justice and mental health systems the tools they need to serve some of their most vulnerable individuals. It will also provide the resources to help communities divert people from the criminal justice system when appropriate.
Read More
President Biden Signs Spending Bill Funding Key Criminal Justice Programs
On December 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package for Fiscal Year 2023. Among other administration priorities, the omnibus spending bill funds various state and local justice system grant programs within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Read More