Collaboration Assessment Tool
There is a common denominator among jurisdictions that have launched successful initiatives to address the needs of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system: some meaningful collaboration between at least one component of the criminal justice system and one component of the mental health system precedes the development and implementation of the initiative. The worksheets below are intended to help criminal justice and mental health organizations assess their existing level of collaboration; questions apply to the organizations’ specific collaborative activities and initiatives. With this goal in mind, these worksheets should be completed by both criminal justice and mental health representatives and their answers should represent a consensus.
The worksheets are organized according to four assessment categories:
- Knowledge Base
- System Collaboration
- Service Coordination
- Resources
How to fill out the worksheets
To answer questions within each category, download the files below and identify where your jurisdiction’s collaborative efforts fall along a continuum of four response options. You should answer these questions with the current status of your initiative in mind, not your future plans.
Words and phrases in red are defined in the glossary in the order they appear in each section.
On March 9, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a $460 billion spending package for Fiscal Year 2024, allocating…
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The sharp rise in school shootings over the past 25 years has led school officials across the U.S.…
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A three-digit crisis line, 988, launched two years ago to supplement—not necessarily replace—911. Calling 988 simplifies access to…
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Biden Signs Six-Bill Spending Package Funding Key Criminal Justice Programs
On March 9, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a $460 billion spending package for Fiscal Year 2024, allocating funding for multiple state and local justice system grant programs within the Department of Justice.
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Taking the HEAT Out of Campus Crises: A Proactive Approach to College Safety
The sharp rise in school shootings over the past 25 years has led school officials across the U.S. to take a closer look at ways to keep students safe. For Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California, a tragic incident at a nearby university hit close to home and spurred campus leaders to revisit their own school’s threat assessments and crisis responses.
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From 911 to 988: Salt Lake City’s Innovative Dispatch Diversion Program Gives More Crisis Options
A three-digit crisis line, 988, launched two years ago to supplement—not necessarily replace—911. Calling 988 simplifies access to services when people are seeking help for themselves or loved ones with suicidal thoughts, behavioral health concerns, or substance use-related crises.
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Matching Care to Need: 5 Facts on How to Improve Behavioral Health Crisis Response
It would hardly be controversial to expect an ambulance to arrive if someone called 911 for a physical health emergency. And yet, for years, the default responders for a behavioral health emergency have been law enforcement officers, not behavioral health professionals.
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