The Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (Fact Sheet)
The number of people with mental disorders who come in contact with our criminal justice system is high. A 2006 Department of Justice study showed that approximately 45 percent of federal inmates, 56 percent of state inmates, and 64 percent of jail inmates displayed symptoms or had a history of a mental disorder; among female inmates in state prisons, the rate was nearly three out of four. In comparison, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly one out of four adults in the general U.S. population is diagnosed with a mental health disorder in a given year.
The sharp rise in school shootings over the past 25 years has led school officials across the U.S.…
Read More
A three-digit crisis line, 988, launched two years ago to supplement—not necessarily replace—911. Calling 988 simplifies access to…
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More