Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
FY 2009 grant awards will be announced by September 30, and a list of grantees will be posted on the BJA web site.
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Training and Technical Assistance Program (FY 2009 Competitive Grant Announcement)
Applications are no longer being accepted
JMHCP Planning and Implementation Guide
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration State-Based Capacity Building Program (FY 2009 Competitive Grant Announcement)
Applications are no longer being accepted
FY 2009 Frequently Asked Questions
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (FY 2009 Competitive Grant Announcement)
Applications are no longer being accepted
FY 2009 Frequently Asked Questions
Announcements:
FRONTLINE Film on Reentry: On April 28, 2009, the PBS series FRONTLINE will broadcast a film called "The Released," which explores what happens to mentally ill offenders once they are released from
prison. A video clip is available at: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/released/.
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) Webinar Series: The Council of State Governments Justice Center is hosting a webinar,
"Improving the Mental Health Court Response to Crime Victims" on May 19th at 2:00 p.m. EST. The presentation will be conducted by Carol Dorris, National Center for Victims
of Crime; Tim Murray, Pretrial Justice Institute; and Hope Glassberg, Council of State Governments Justice Center. This webinar will explore how the nontraditional
operations of mental health courts contribute to limited victims' rights policies and will recommend practical solutions for improving them. Visit the Justice Center
web site to register.
Upcoming Webinars (Registration information will be posted as it becomes available):
- May: "A Guide to Juvenile Screening and Assessment"
- June: "Federal Benefits"
JMHCP Webinar Series: On March 23rd, a webinar on "HIPAA: Myths, Facts, and Cross-System Collaboration," was presented by John Petrila, Professor of Mental Health Law & Policy at the University
of South Florida, on March 23rd. Click here for the PowerPoint presentation from this webinar. Playback information will be available soon.
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) 15th Annual Training Conference is being held June 10-13, 2009 in Anaheim, California.
NADCP will has added the first-ever Mental Health Court/Co-Occurring Disorders Forum on June 14. For more information or participation in this event, please visit:
www.nadcp.org/annual.html.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recently announced a request for applications for the 2009 Jail Diversion and
Trauma Recovery - Priority to Veterans program (SM-09-004): samhsa.gov/grants/2009/fy2009.aspx. Applications are due April 28, 2009.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center announced the release of
Improving Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses under Community Corrections Supervision: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice, which was supported by t
he John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. The Guide reviews the body of recent research on
community corrections supervision for people with mental illnesses and translates the findings to help officials develop effective interventions.
The Consensus Project launched a new version of its Criminal Justice/Mental Health Information Network (InfoNet),
an online database that catalogues collaborative criminal justice and mental health activity at a number of intercept points along the criminal justice continuum. This new
version will result in an even better resource for the field because it allows for more real-time updates to profiles of existing collaborative initiatives. This in turn
allows those in the fields of criminal justice and mental health to access more accurate information, sooner, about more programs across the country. If you run local or
state-based programs designed to help individuals with mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system (such as a CIT or a mental health court), please
take a moment to review the updated InfoNet and either input or update your program's information.
FY 2009 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Applicant Webinars Now Available Online: BJA is pleased to announce that both Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program applicant webinars are now available online. The webinars, held February 4th and
February 26th, covered an overview of the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and provided practical information about the current FY 2009 solicitation for
potential applicants. The webinars featured Q&A sessions with BJA presenters. Click here for a link to the February 4th presentation, including audio.
Click here for a link to the February 26th presentation, including audio.
A train-the-trainer program for the Stepping Stones to Recovery training curriculum has been scheduled for May 18-21, 2009 in Baltimore, MD. The four-day training
will address the SSI/SSDA application and disability determination process, provide strategies for assisting persons who are homeless, and impart training delivery
skills. For information on the train-the-trainer event, including registration, visit the SOAR web site: www.prainc.com/soar/.
With support from BJA, the Council of State Governments Justice Center has released Mental Health Courts: A Primer for Policymakers and
Practitioners. This publication provides the field with a comprehensive overview and history of mental health courts and describes
mental health courts’ goals and processes, how they differ from drug courts, research findings about their effectiveness, and resources for jurisdictions interested
in starting a program.
With support from BJA, the Council of State Governments Justice Center has released Improving Responses to People
with Mental Illnesses: Strategies for Effective Law Enforcement Training. The Justice Center, in partnership with the Police Executive Research Forum, provides
this training resource guide for law enforcement personnel and staff at agencies who are planning a training initiative that will support a crisis intervention
team, co-responder, or other type of speculated law enforcement-based response program, as well as for individuals looking to enhance an existing training initiative. The publication discusses which individuals can best serve as trainers, how they can be identified, what preparation and support they require, what teaching techniques are most effective, and how planners can design training to improve outcomes from those encounters.
The National Association of Counties (NACo), with support from BJA, has released a new publication, Reentry for Safer
Communities, Effective County Practices in Jail to Community Transition Planning for Offenders with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders.
This publication features effective practices in six counties for transition planning for incarcerated individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center recently announced that Delaware, Idaho, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin
have been selected to participate in the Chief Justices’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative. This is a national project that assists state supreme
court chief justices in improving responses to people with mental illness involved in the justice system. The four chief justices selected will convene task forces
of state leaders to examine ways to enhance how the criminal just system addresses the needs of people with mental illness.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center recently released two publications about crime victims: Responding to People Who Have Been Victimized by
Individuals with Mental Illnesses and A Guide to the Role of Crime Victims in Mental Health Courts. These guides were written by CSG Justice Center staff, with
support from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and are available for download at
consensusproject.org/issue-areas/victims/vpmi/.
With support from BJA, the Council of State Governments Justice Center has released Improving Responses to People
with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program. The Justice Center, in partnership with the Police Executive
Research Forum, has identified 10 key components found in any successful law enforcement initiatives to provide better outcomes in officers’ encounters with
individuals with mental illnesses. The elements can help guide individuals in communities that are interested in developing a law enforcement-based program or
improving the organization and functions of an existing program.
Overview:
The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) was created by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-414) in response to requests from state government officials to recommend improvements to the criminal justice system's response to people with mental illness. The purpose of the program is to increase public safety by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health treatment, and substance abuse systems to increase access to treatment for this unique group of offenders. People with mental illness are significantly represented in the segment of the population in contact with the criminal justice system. Approximately 5 percent of the U.S. population has a serious mental illness, while according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in a 1999 report, about 16 percent of the prison or jail population has a serious mental illness. Of the 10 million people booked into U.S. jails in 1997, at least 700,000 had a serious mental illness; approximately three-quarters of those individuals had a co-occurring substance abuse disorder. For juveniles, a study completed by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice concluded that two-thirds of detained male youth and three-quarters of detained female youth have at least one mental health disorder.
The goals of the program are to:
- Protect public safety by early intervention to treatment for people with mental illness or a co-occurring disorder who become involved with the criminal or juvenile justice system. This includes strategies (to the extent practicable) to address development and learning disabilities and problems arising from a documented history of physical or sexual abuse.
- Provide courts, including existing and new mental health courts, with appropriate mental health and substance abuse treatment options.
- Maximize the use of diversion from prosecution and use of alternative sentences through community supervision and use of graduated sanctions, as appropriate for the client, in cases involving nonviolent offenders with mental illness.
- Promote adequate training for criminal justice system personnel about mental illness and substance abuse disorders and the appropriate responses to people with such illnesses, including those with developmental and learning disabilities.
- Promote adequate training for mental health and substance abuse treatment personnel about criminal offenders with mental illness or co-occurring substance abuse disorders and the appropriate response to such offenders in the criminal justice system.
- Promote communication among adult or juvenile justice personnel, mental health and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder treatment personnel, and nonviolent offenders with mental illness and co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders and support services such as housing, job placement, faith-based and community services, schools, child welfare, transportation, and crime victims' organizations.
- Promote communication, collaboration, and intergovernmental partnerships among municipal-, county-, and state-elected officials with respect to mentally ill offenders.
Grantee Snapshots:
FY 2006 Grantees
FY 2007 Grantees
FY 2008 Grantees
Mental Health Court Learning Sites:
BJA has designated five mental health courts as learning sites to provide a peer support network for local and state officials interested in planning a new or
improving on an existing mental health court. The five learning sites are:
- Akron Municipal Mental Health Court (OH)
- Bonneville County Mental Health Court (ID)
- Bronx County Mental Health Court (NY)
- Dougherty Superior Court (GA)
- Washoe County Mental Health Court (NV)
The learning sites host site visits, hold conference calls, and respond to e-mail inquiries from people interested in starting a mental health court or improving
their current program. The Council of State Governments Justice Center oversees this program for BJA. Snapshots of each of the learning sites, along with longer
program descriptions, can be found at http://consensusproject.org/mhcp.
Legislation: The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program is funded through the
Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA) (Public Law 108-414).
Funding: The FY 2009 appropriation is $10 million. The FY 2008 appropriation was $6.5 million.
Eligibility: Applicants are limited to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations, which must apply jointly with a mental health agency.
How/When To Apply: BJA released the FY 2009 grant announcement for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program on January 12, 2009, and applications were due March 12, 2009.
All applications must be submitted via Grants.gov.
