Upcoming Events
03/26/2013 02:00 PM
This webinar will provide an overview of emerging research about mental health courts and discuss its implications for mental health court practitioners and policymakers. During the webinar, mental health court researchers will share their findings and facilitate a discussion about best practices that can help mental health court teams integrate valuable information from emerging research into their programs’ design and operation.
Presenters:
- Lisa Callahan, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, Policy Research Associates
- Jessica Myers, Program Associate, Council of State Governments Justice Center
- Heathcote Wales, J.D., Associate Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 Pm, Eastern Time
Click here to register for the webinar.
Past Events
The National Institute of Justice has posted a recorded of the NIJ Research for the Real World Seminar "Changing the Behavior of Drug-Involved Offenders: Supervision That Works." The seminar was presented on December 18, 2012, by Angela Hawken, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics and Policy Analysis, Pepperdine University, and Mark Kleiman, Ph.D.Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Los Angeles.
About the Seminar
A small number of offenders who are heavily involved in drugs commit a large portion of the crime in this country. An evaluation of a "smart supervision" effort in Hawaii that uses swift and certain sanctioning showed that heavily involved drug offenders can indeed change their behavior when the supervision is properly implemented.
Drs. Angela Hawken and Mark Kleiman evaluated Hawaii's swift and certain supervision program, more commonly referred to as Hawaii HOPE. They discussed what they learned and how the principles of HOPE are being applied elsewhere.
They discussed, for example, the kinds of offenders who are now being supervised under HOPE-style programs in Hawaii and on the mainland. They also discussed the important unanswered research questions, such as: the psychological mechanisms that underlie the dramatic behavior changes, the minimum effective sanction, whether sanctions should escalate, and when revocation is appropriate. They also discussed the wider implications for juveniles, alcoholics, pretrial releases and prisoners, as well as the appropriate role of the federal government.
Click here to watch the seminar.
Read the transcript of the event.
News
The May 9 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Bulletin includes information about SAMHSA's new National PSA Camaign and an an article about their report that shows that community-based programs improve young adults with mental health challenges. Click here for the May 9 SAMHSA bulletin.
BJA's Justice Today newsletter for March 2013 features an article and related documents from the Council of State Governments Justice Center Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program National Training and Technical Assistance Event entitled "Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Recovery."
Click here for the March 2013 BJA's Justice Today newsletter.
The National Institute of Justice has posted a recorded of the NIJ Research for the Real World Seminar "Changing the Behavior of Drug-Involved Offenders: Supervision That Works." The seminar was presented on December 18, 2012, by Angela Hawken, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics and Policy Analysis, Pepperdine University, and Mark Kleiman, Ph.D.Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Los Angeles.
About the Seminar
A small number of offenders who are heavily involved in drugs commit a large portion of the crime in this country. An evaluation of a "smart supervision" effort in Hawaii that uses swift and certain sanctioning showed that heavily involved drug offenders can indeed change their behavior when the supervision is properly implemented.
Drs. Angela Hawken and Mark Kleiman evaluated Hawaii's swift and certain supervision program, more commonly referred to as Hawaii HOPE. They discussed what they learned and how the principles of HOPE are being applied elsewhere.
They discussed, for example, the kinds of offenders who are now being supervised under HOPE-style programs in Hawaii and on the mainland. They also discussed the important unanswered research questions, such as: the psychological mechanisms that underlie the dramatic behavior changes, the minimum effective sanction, whether sanctions should escalate, and when revocation is appropriate. They also discussed the wider implications for juveniles, alcoholics, pretrial releases and prisoners, as well as the appropriate role of the federal government.
Click here to watch the seminar.
Read the transcript of the event.
The GAINS Center has developed a comprehensive database to identify the existing mental health courts in the United States. AS a living document, the information included in the database will be updated as needed. It includes: the location of each mental health court, the year established, target participants (e.g. felony, misdemeanor, violent/non), approximate annual enrollments (or total enrollments), and necessary contact information. The database was completed in December 2012. Click here to link to the interactive map of Adult Mental Health Treatment Courts.
Click here for the Fiscal Year 2012 Grant Awards from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).
SAMHSA will not accept paper applications except when a waiver of this requirement is approved by SAMHSA.
Beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2013, SAMHSA discretionary grant applications, including new and continuation, must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.
SAMHSA strongly encourages any organization intending to apply to a SAMHSA program to register now with Grants.gov. Registration is a one-time process, which is required before representatives of an organization can submit grant application packages electronically through Grants.gov.
The Organization Registration Checklist [PDF – 357 KB] provides registration guidance for a company; institution; state, local, or tribal government; or other types of organizations submitting for the first time through Grants.gov. Registration takes approximately 3–5 business days; however, Grants.gov recommends that applicants allow 4 weeks for completion of all steps in the registration process.
Any questions may be directed to the Division of Grant Review at 240-276-1199.
Request a Waiver
Individual applicants may request a waiver of electronic submission, for instance, if they do not have the technological means or if their physical location receives poor-quality or intermittent connection to the Internet. More information about a waiver and the process to apply will be forthcoming on the SAMHSA website in November and also in each Funding Announcement.
WASHINGTON – The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) today announced it awarded $27 million under the Drug Court Program and the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) in Fiscal Year 2012. These two BJA programs provide assistance and support for states, tribes and localities offering specialized services for individuals within the justice system who have substance abuse and mental health disorders.
“People with mental illnesses often cycle repeatedly through courtrooms, jails, and prisons that are ill-equipped to address their needs and, in particular, to provide adequate treatment. BJA has been exploring new ways of responding to these individuals to break this costly and damaging cycle,” said BJA Director Denise E. O’Donnell. “BJA has an entire portfolio dedicated to addressing the revolving door of justice for individuals with behavioral health needs.”
Click here for the full BJA announcing FY12 awards for drug courts and Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center has released Adults with Behavioral Health Needs under Correctional Supervision: A Shared Framework for Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Recovery. The report is written for policymakers, administrators, and service providers committed to improving outcomes for the large number of adults with mental health and substance use disorders that cycle through the criminal justice system. It introduces an evidence-based framework for prioritizing scarce resources based on assessments of individuals’ risk of committing a future crime and their treatment and support needs. The report also outlines the principles and practices of the substance abuse, mental health, and corrections systems and proposes a structure for state and local agencies to build collaborative responses.
The report introduces a framework that can be used at the corrections and behavioral health systems level to prioritize scarce resources based on objective assessments of individuals’ risk of committing a future crime and their treatment and support needs. The report on the Criminogenic Risk and Behavioral Health Needs Framework was supported by the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It was developed in partnership with the
- Association of State Correctional Administrators,
- National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors,
- National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors,
- American Probation and Parole Association, and other organizations and national experts.
“NIC recognizes the care of inmates with mental health and/or substance abuse diagnoses as a top priority for the nation’s correctional systems. Our support of the framework is indicative of the need for corrections to have comprehensive tools that guide practitioners through effective decision making, program planning, and treatment. The framework is one of many methods and processes that will aid in this endeavor. NIC is pleased to be part of these efforts,” said Director Morris Thigpen.
The framework white paper and summary, a FAQ, link to the press release, and other resources can be found at www.csgjusticecenter.org/mentalhealth/bhcorrframework.
A webinar will be held October 2, 2012 to introduce the framework and how it can be used. Click here for information and a registration link.
The report and related materials were supported by the National Institute of Corrections, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They were developed in partnership with the Association of State Correctional Administrators, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, the American Probation and Parole Association, and other organizations and national experts. Single hard copies can be ordered while supplies last from NCJRS (www.ncjrs.gov, NCJ# 239596).
“Learning sites” are programs that use promising approaches and are committed to ongoing quality improvement and sharing their expertise through peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Since 2006, the CSG Justice Center has worked in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to identify and highlight criminal justice/mental health collaborations from across the country who can serve as learning sites for those interested in mental health courts and in collaborations between law enforcement and mental health agencies (http://consensusproject.org/learningsites).
In order to ensure that learning sites meet the needs of the field, the Justice Center is asking criminal justice and mental health practitioners to participate in a brief survey to provide feedback on programs and topics of interest, as well as peer-to-peer learning strategies. Your responses will inform future learning site programs and offerings.
Please take a few minutes to complete the 10 short questions in this survey by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BTJG9LF. The survey will close at the end of the day on Friday, September 28th. For more information, please contact Lindsey Fry at lfry@csg.org. We appreciate your participation!
People arrested in Washington, DC often pass through the justice system without having their mental health needs identified, a new research study from Vera’s Substance Use and Mental Health Program (SUMH) reports.
Working with information from four DC criminal justice agencies and the District’s Department of Mental Health for people arrested in June 2008, Vera researchers have compiled an unprecedented dataset. The report highlights missed opportunities to identify mental health needs among a vulnerable population that often cycles through pretrial services, the courts, jail or prison, and probation without treatment.
The report, Closing the Gap: Using Criminal Justice and Public Health Data to Improve the Identification of Mental Illness, recommends information-sharing among relevant justice and mental health agencies—when appropriate—to capitalize on opportunities for early identification and to help ensure continuity of care for those involved in the DC criminal justice system who might benefit from mental health services, including community-based programs.
Click here to download the full report.
Click here for a report fact sheet.
In the latest edition of Corrections & Mental Health, NIC’s mental health newsletter, Steve Allen, Director of Behavior Health Services with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, formally announced the creation of the Association of Corrections Mental Health Administrators (ACMHA). This network was developed with support from NIC and is intended to bring together corrections mental health executives from across the country for the purpose of sharing information and best practices. The members have formed workgroups focused on the following areas:
- Suicide prevention
- Managing self-harm
- Ethical and legal issues
- Mentally ill offenders in segregation
- Diagnostics
- Research
- Treatment programs
According to Allen, ACHMA’s next scheduled meeting will include discussion about the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on local healthcare systems, effective release and reintegration planning with mentally ill offenders, and ACHMA workgroup presentations.
For more information about ACMHA, please visit their network in the Corrections Community. There you can subscribe for automatic updates via RSS and e-mail.
The National Reentry Resource Center, a project of the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, announced it is accepting applicants to participate in a pilot project to improve access to substance abuse treatment for corrections populations. The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has funded the CSG Justice Center, in partnership with NIATx at the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, to implement the Bringing NIATx to Corrections project to help jurisdictions design new and innovative ways to provide access to treatment for corrections populations.
The Bringing NIATx to Corrections project applies the nationally recognized NIATx process improvement model to corrections, community supervision, and treatment agencies. This is the first time this research-based model has been applied in this way. CSG hopes applying the model will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these agencies’ partnerships—and, as a result, increase the number of people who are referred to and participate in treatment. Pilot sites will receive access to technical assistance (TA) from the Justice Center and NIATx, a project ‘coach’ from NIATx and several leading expert consultants on improving access to substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorder services for incarcerated offenders. Applications are due by February 26th, 2012.
Click here for more information about NIATx. Click here to download the solicitation and application
SAMHSA recently announced a new working definition of recovery from mental disorders and substance use disorders. The definition is the product of a year-long effort by SAMHSA and a wide range of partners in the behavioral health care community and other fields to develop a working definition of recovery that captures the essential, common experiences of those recovering from mental disorders and substance use disorders. Major guiding principles support the recovery definition. SAMHSA led this effort as part of its Recovery Support Strategic Initiative.
The new working definition of Recovery From Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders is as follows:
A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.
Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA also has delineated four major dimensions that support a life in recovery:
- Health: Overcoming or managing one's disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way.
- Home: A stable and safe place to live.
- Purpose: Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
- Community: Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
Click here for the full press release
“This report presents data on mental and substance use disorders among adult males on correctional supervised release–parole or probation–from local, state and federal prisons and jails. It examines issues that have grown increasingly salient with the rising costs associated with managing the growing community- and facility-based criminal justice population” (p. 1). Results are given for: trends in the number of probationers and parolees; substance use, dependence and abuse and unmet treatment need among probationers; rates of mental disorders among parolees and probationers over time; past month illicit drug use, substance dependence or abuse among probationers; past month illicit drug use, substance dependence or abuse among paroles and supervised releases; past year treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem for probationers; past year treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem for parolees and supervised releases; past year mental health and treatment measures for probationers; and past year mental health and treatment measures for parolees and supervised releases. From 2002 through 2009 the rates of drug use and drug dependence and rates of mental illness were almost three times more for parolees and those offenders on parole or supervised release than the general U.S. population. While access to substance abuse treatment increased there was a significant gap between mental health services and unmet need.
Click here to download the full report.
The Clinical Psychiatry News posted an article by Neil Osterweil outlining the prevalence of severe mental disorders in jails and prisons.
U.S. correctional institutions are estimated to be housing 1 million men and women with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or a major affective disorder, investigators reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
The estimated prevalence of serious mental disorders among U.S. inmates ranges from 7% to 16%. Men with mental illness are four times more likely to be incarcerated than the general population, and women with mental illness have an eightfold higher risk, reported Georgia Stathopoulou, Ph.D., and her colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston.
The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has named its 2011 grantees under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), which was authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA).
The 2011 grantees represent 40 jurisdictions from 35 states and territories. Of these, nine communities received planning grants with a maximum award of $50,000 for 12 months. 27 received planning and implementation grants, with a maximum award of $250,000 for 30 months. Six communities received expansion grants, with a maximum award of $200,000 for 24 months. All grants required a joint application from a mental health agency and the unit of government responsible for criminal and/or juvenile justice activities.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center's Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project will provide technical assistance to the new grantees.
This is the seventh round of grantees funded through MIOTCRA. Through funds appropriated in FY2010, BJA awarded 62 grants in 39 states. Through funds appropriated in FY2009, BJA awarded 43 grants in 30 states under JMHCP. Through funds appropriated in FY 2008, BJA awarded 23 grants in 18 states (and Guam) under the JMHCP. Read more about previous JMHCP grantees on the Consensus Project’s local programs database.
Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that 118 programs have been selected to receive funding in 2011 under the Second Chance Act (SCA). Grantees include both local and state governments and nonprofit organizations.
The selection process was highly competitive. According to Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, DOJ received more than 1,000 applications for Second Chance funding this year.
These grant awards are posted at the Office of Justice Programs web site
- Fiscal Year 2011 Grant Awards Office of Justice Programs' program grants funded through the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law 111-117. Click here to view all the awards ordered by state, and here to view all the awards ordered by solicitation title.
To see the list of Second Chance Act grant recipients, click on one of the specific grant tracks listed below.
Mentoring Grants
Funding under this section helps nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes implement mentoring projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of adults and juveniles who have been incarcerated.
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Adult Mentoring
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Adult Mentoring, “Promoting Successful Reentry Through Responsible Fatherhood/Motherhood”
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Juvenile Mentoring
Demonstration Grants
Funding under this section helps state and local agencies implement projects and strategies to reduce recidivism and ensure the safe and successful reentry of adults and juveniles released from prisons, jails, or youth detention facilities back to the community.
Family-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Grants
Funding under this section helps state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish or enhance residential substance abuse treatment projects in correctional facilities that include family supportive services.
Adult Offenders with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders
This section’s funding helps state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish or enhance residential substance abuse treatment programs in correctional facilities that include aftercare and recovery supportive services.
Reentry Courts
This section’s funding helps state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish state, local, and tribal reentry courts monitor offenders and provide them with the treatment services necessary to establish a self-sustaining and law-abiding life.
Technology Careers
Funding under this section helps state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes to establish programs to train individuals in prisons, jails, or juvenile residential facilities for technology-based jobs and careers during the three-year period before their release.
In addition to these awards, other reentry research and technical assistance Second Chance Act awards were announced.
Society pays a significant cost for individuals' abuse of drugs and alcohol. The consequences of illicit drug use impact the entire criminal justice system, taxing resources at each stage of the arrest, adjudication, incarceration and post-release supervision process. Drug law violations constitute a substantial portion of incarcerations in state and local correctional facilities. To alleviate the burden that drug use and abuse puts on the nation's criminal justice system, many jurisdictions have developed drug courts or other diversion programs aimed at breaking the drug addiction and crime cycle. The August 2011 NTTAC newsletter discusses the training and technical assistance resources that are available to address drug and alcohol abuse - and drug-involved offenders and the court system in particular.
On July 29, 2011, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Attorney General Eric Holder signed a memorandum of agreement to combat alcohol and substance abuse among American Indian/Alaska Native tribes by establishing a office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesÂ’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The new Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse, created as a result of the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, will coordinate the efforts of American Indian and Alaskan Native communities and federal agencies to address alcohol and substance abuse.
As part of its substance abuse efforts, the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse will emphasize programs geared toward reaching youth and offering alternatives to incarceration.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center Criminal Justice/Mental Health Collaboration Project July 2011 E-Newsletter features the Justice Center New Brief on Enrolling People with serious mental illnesses (SMI) for federal benefits. Click here to download the July 2011 E-Newsletter.
National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske has released the 2011 National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy reflects the Obama Administration's comprehensive and balanced efforts to reduce drug use and its consequences.
NewsOn6 in Tulsa, OK reports on Oklahoma Department of Correction's program to divert mentally ill inmates from prison.
Click here for the article. Click here for the video report.
ASCA polled member agencies about current issues facing corrections in November and December and ASCA members discussed current issues during the 2010 All Directors Training held in San Francisco, CA on December 3 and 4, 2010. The information collected from these two forums was used to update the ASCA Current Issues Document. The results of the poll and discussion at All Directors Training have been incorporated in to a new Current Issues Document that shows that dealing with budget cuts continue to be the leading issue facing corrections agencies today. Click on this link to download the full report.