Behavioral Health and Justice: Helping Counties “Step Up” at Every Stage

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and Omni Institute 

Since 2015, more than 500 counties have joined the national Stepping Up initiative, which provides the data, leadership, and partnerships needed to confront the behavioral health crisis in jails and meet the needs of people with behavioral health needs. These counties have joined forces to connect people to care, reduce the time people spend in jail, and cut the cost of incarceration—all while improving public safety.

But before starting or strengthening a Stepping Up initiative, counties often ask: Where do we start? How do we know if we’re ready? Can we do more?  To address those questions, join us for an informative webinar introducing the “Stepping Up Readiness Toolkit,” a new resource developed by the OMNI Institute in partnership with the CSG Justice Center, based on the work of the Kansas Stepping Up Technical Assistance Center and Kansas Stepping Up Innovator Counties, and funded by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.  

Participants will learn:  

• How counties can use the toolkit to quickly assess their capacity and how “ready” they are to implement or strengthen a Stepping Up initiative  

• The 6 questions leaders should ask themselves before implementing a Stepping Up initiative 

• Practical, actionable guidance to strengthen cross-system collaboration and data-driven decision-making 

Whether you’re interested in starting or strengthening a Stepping Up initiative, this webinar is ideal for county leaders, Stepping Up coordinators, jail administrators, behavioral health partners, technical assistance providers, and anyone involved in Stepping Up efforts or improving data infrastructure at the county level. 

Speakers:  

• Megan Davidson, Program Director, Behavioral Health Division, CSG Justice Center 

• Audra Goldsmith, Project Manager, Behavioral Health Division, CSG Justice Center 

• Chandra Winder, Senior Research Manager, OMNI Institute 

• Ashley Woolweaver, Research Manager, OMNI Institute 

This event will be recorded, and all registrants will receive the recording.