Consensus Project - December 2010 Newsletter

December 2010 Newsletter

Spotlight on JMHCP: Site Visits to Macon and Logan Counties, Illinois

On October 28 and 29, 2010, the Council of State Governments Justice Center conducted technical assistance site visits to FY2009 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) Planning Grant recipients in Illinois's Macon and Logan counties. The counties are located in rural central Illinois, near Springfield. Staff met with key program personnel, community leaders, and stakeholders to learn more about challenges unique to rural jurisdictions, where appropriate resources can be scare or difficult to access. These counties have developed innovative strategies for overcoming rural challenges and translating limited resources into advantages.

Excerpt from the Consensus Project’s Online Forum

In August, the Justice Center launched a new online discussion forum, where policymakers and practitioners from across the country can exchange ideas, direct questions to each other and national experts, offer comments and suggestions, and network around their collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives. The forum is funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U. S. Department of Justice. To access the forum, click here.

Take a look at what’s being discussed on the forum:

Question: "Can anyone point me in the direction of federal grants for CIT? The more specific the better."

Answer: "The federal funding cycle for FY10 is currently closed, although some RFPs for FY11 have been released. In particular, I would recommend looking into the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/) and possibly funding opportunities through the COPS (Community Orientated Policing Services) Office (http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/)..."

To read more of this thread, or to post a response, please click here.

To start your own discussion, please click here.

Call for Mental Health Court Training Resources and Identified Needs

The Justice Center, with the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, will be developing a curriculum for judges, attorneys, treatment providers, and community corrections officers interested in planning and implementing mental health courts. This curriculum will be developed and piloted in partnership with the National Center for State Courts, the National GAINS Center, the National Judicial College, and the Center for Court Innovation. It will be available to any jurisdiction, and can be used by state judicial educators as a training template.

If your city, county, or state conducts training for mental health court teams that you think would be helpful in the development of this important national project, please let us know! Send your information or program materials to Hallie Fader-Towe at hfader@csg.org.

We are also eager to respond to the field’s needs, concerns, and current state of knowledge. Please let us know about any "gaps" in available trainings, as well as specific resources, "lessons learned," or topics that you think should be included in this project. We appreciate your assistance and your input in making the best possible product.

FY11 JMHCP Grants Available for Local Programs

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), U.S. Department of Justice, has released its fiscal year 2011 solicitation for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) grant applications. The program promotes coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies. The deadline for applications is February 3, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Download Solicitation | Download Application FAQs

Save the Date: 2nd FY2011 JMHCP Applicant Webinar

A second Fiscal Year 2011 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Applicant Webinar will be held on January 10, 2011, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration links and more information will be disseminated soon. You may access an archived version of yesterday's applicant webinar here.

Save the Date: CBT Webinar on January 11

The Justice Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance will host a webinar about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its uses in collaborative criminal justice/mental health programs on January 11, 2011, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration links and more information will be available soon.

The Columbus Dispatch (OH) — Company streamlines drug testing for courts

12/6/10 — By streamlining substance-screening and reducing duplication, Warren County officials were able to reinvest the $155,000 in saved expenses and invest in mental health care.

The Bellingham Herald (CA) — Jails, prisons increasingly taking care of mentally ill

12/6/10 — As the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center in Modesto continues to see an increase of individuals with mental illness, the county is searching for effective ways to connect people to appropriate. Despite having a successful mental health court, court funding was recently cut and enrollment was forced to shrink.

The Kansas City Star (KS) — Johnson County program aims to help mentally ill petty criminals avoid jail

12/4/10 — "About 17 percent of Johnson County jail inmates have a mental illness, as are almost half of the people booked there 20 times or more, a study shows. However, A diversion program for mentally ill petty criminals will be expanded early next year, officials said."

New York Times (ME) — State Cuts Put Officers on Front Lines of Mental Care

12/4/10 — "As community mental health systems fray under the strain of state budget cuts and a weak economy, law enforcement officers across the nation are increasingly having to step in to provide the emergency services that clinics have typically offered the mentally ill."

The Advertiser-News (NJ) — County officers get training in handling mental health crises

12/1/10 — "Nearly every municipal police officer and Department of Corrections officer in Sussex County has ... received two hours of training on responding to a mental health crisis and understanding the signs and symptoms of mental illness."

The Herald Journal (UT) — Mental Health Court another option for justice

12/1/10 — "The list of graduates from the 1st Judicial District Mental Health Court is growing. That means fewer people are housed in correctional facilities, and more defendants receive treatment for the behavior that got them into the justice system to begin with."

StarNews Online (NC) — Officers get mental health crisis training

11/24/10 — "Ten officers from New Hanover County Sheriff's Office and Surf City, Leland and Wilmington police departments received ... 40 hours of training, which teaches officers and communications operators how to interact with people experiencing a mental health crisis."

The Portland Press Herald (ME) — Experts discuss removing stigma of mental illness

11/20/10 — "It's a Community Affair," a presentation put on by Spring Harbor Hospital, in partnership with USM's School of Social Work and Maine Medical Center, looks at topics of effective treatment and prevention of suicide.

WSIL TV (IL) — Local Police Train to Help the Mentally Ill

11/19/10 — "The federal government said today about one in five American adults experienced some kind of mental illness last year, and less than 40 percent of those people received treatment. Local police departments take those numbers seriously, and are training to deal with emergencies brought on by mental illness."