PMHC programs support law enforcement agencies around the country in planning and implementing effective public safety responses to people who have mental illnesses.

Law enforcement agencies have used police-mental health collaboration (PMHC) programs to help officers safely and effectively respond to calls for service involving people with mental illnesses for decades.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) launched an online toolkit in partnership with the CSG Justice Center that supports law enforcement agencies around the country in planning and implementing effective public-safety responses to people who have mental illnesses.

The PMHC Toolkit outlines the overall benefits of PMHC programs in five sections: learning about PMHC programs; planning and implementing; training; managing; and measuring.

In 2020, the CSG Justice Center launched the PMHC Self-Assessment tool to help law enforcement agencies and their behavioral health partners assess their progress toward implementing high quality partnership-based interventions. This tool is designed to provide resources to help improve responses to calls for service for people with mental illnesses and/or co-occurring substance use conditions.

PMHC News

Key Staff


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Senior Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health
Sean Justice provides technical assistance to Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grantees and Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Sites. Previously, Sean worked with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research in law enforcement and correctional officer safety and wellness. In this role,
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he supported programs aimed at providing resources and trainings to agencies supporting officer mental wellness. He also worked with the National Gang Center and the STOP School Violence program supporting targeted trainings to law enforcement and school resource officers. He has also served as a parole officer for the state of Tennessee and as a correctional program coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Corrections’ Swift, Certain, and Fair program. Sean holds a MS in forensic psychology and a BS in criminal justice with a focus in forensic psychology from Tiffin University. 
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  • Ernest-Stevens
    Deputy Division Director, Behavioral Health
    Ernest Stevens oversees the portfolio of work focused on improving outcomes for people experiencing behavioral health conditions and homelessness who encounter law enforcement. Ernest supports communities in adopting, implementing, and evaluating new practices. Previously, Ernest spent over 28 years in
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    law enforcement helping develop new programs and policies for the San Antonio Police Department. He also worked as a program manager for the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council that oversees emergency operations for 22 counties in Texas. Ernest was featured in the Emmy Award-winning documentary Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops. Ernest also wrote Mental Health and De-Escalation: A Guide for Law Enforcement Professionals. He earned his BS in criminal justice from Wayland Baptist University. 
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