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In this session, attendees asked BJA representatives questions about JMHCP grants, performance measures, and the grant-making and receiving process. In addition, participants learned about new Justice Center resources for helping jurisdictions learn about, design, and implement programs that address the needs of people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system.

Watch the Video | Slides

This plenary session highlighted the importance of data collection and analysis for all initiatives and discuss strategies for making the most of limited resources. The speakers discussed the connection between data collection and sustainability, particularly in times of significant budget constraints. They also discussed how good data can assist programs both in securing future funding and in demonstrating the importance of these programs to the general public.

Slides

Community corrections and mental health policymakers and practitioners are increasingly interested in matching program packages to individuals’ varying levels of clinical need and criminogenic risk (i.e., the dynamic risk factors associated with criminal behavior) with the goal of reserving the most intensive interventions for those individuals who have the most impairments related to their mental illnesses and pose the highest risk to public safety. Although the concept of criminogenic risk is not routinely factored into criminal justice and mental health collaborative treatment and supervision, some jurisdictions are developing strategies to address this issue. This panel, moderated by Dr. Fred Osher, reviewed the research on community corrections responses to people with mental illnesses. Robert Kingman and Lars Olson presented their first-hand experiences developing policies and programs that integrate criminogenic risk into the mental health and criminal justice dialogue.

For more information, please read the Justice Center publication, Improving Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses under Community Corrections Supervision: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice.

Slides

This panel, moderated by Rebecca Rose, focused on the newest development among the 2008 JMHCP grantees: data learning sites. Each data learning site representative discussed key issues from each of their programs, and highlighted some of their challenges and successes. Dr. Nancy Wolff focused on the issue of informed consent when collecting and analyzing data on human subjects, IRBs and consent forms, and the topic of “duty to inform.” Jeannie Von Stultz detailed the data collection process within a mental health court team and explained how her team is using data to sustain their program and some of the unique challenges of collecting information on juveniles. Robert Butkiewicz highlighted how his team is using data to refine their program and discussed the challenges of using a data-entry system. Kevin Baldwin talked about his team’s implementation of the NIATx model and its use in conjunction with their public mental health/substance abuse agency.

Slides

This panel provided an overview of, and specific practical ideas about, diverse funding strategies for collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives. Leon Evans and Art Wallenstein, along with moderator Ron Wiborg, provided examples of approaches that have worked in Texas, Maryland, and Minnesota jurisdictions. Henry Ireys discussed Mathematica’s evaluation of Oklahoma’s efforts to link individuals with mental illnesses leaving prison with Medicaid and its implications for other jurisdictions seeking to leverage funds to ensure a better transition to the community for people with mental illnesses.

Slides

This panel, moderated by Melissa Reuland, provided an overview about what data are available on specialized law enforcement responses to people with mental illnesses, and how these data relate to policy and practice. Victoria Cochran and Sue Martone then provided the practical implications of data collection and analysis based on their experiences in their respective jurisdictions. The overarching themes on which panelists focused were: Why do we collect data? And what role have data played in program development and sustainment? Session attendees were encouraged to ask questions and add comments about their own obstacles and strategies to the discussion.

For more information, please read the Justice Center publication, Law Enforcement Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: A Guide To Research-Informed Policy and Practice.

Slides

This session, moderated by Lauren Almquist, focused on several different angles of data collection in mental health courts. Panelists discussed the importance of gaining a better empirical understanding of these programs and presented current research findings on mental health courts, including a new multi-court study by Policy Research Associates. The session then looked at how to determine the types of data to collect, how mental health courts can collect reliable data on their participants (with a presentation of the Justice Center’s new data-entry system), and how program data can be used to improve court processes and illustrate positive outcomes.

This panel, moderated by Timothy Murray, involved a facilitated discussion among the three panelists, each of whom has successfully secured funding for the collaborative criminal justice/mental health program in their respective communities. Dr. Steven Sherrets, Travis Parker, and Mary Jo Dickson each discussed strategies they have used to sustain the program after the initial grant support ended. Mr. Murray then engaged the session attendees in a discussion to brainstorm and troubleshoot different approaches and strategies to overcome common funding challenges.

Handouts

This panel, moderated by Hope Glassberg, highlighted strategies for working with local media and provided concrete examples of how other collaborative criminal justice/mental health programs have worked with journalists to the benefit of their programs. Amy Kroll provided several case studies of interactions with the press in her jurisdiction, and Albert Pizza discussed his team’s experience with engaging the local media to document key events in their mental health court. Mr. Pizza also discussed confidentiality issues and showcased the consent forms that his court uses. He also shared with the audience his court’s written guidelines detailing how to speak to reporters. The panelists then discussed the “do’s and don’ts” of interacting with reporters, ways to engage the press, when not to engage the press, and how to pitch a story.

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The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has long been a leader on collaborative criminal justice and mental health issues. This session briefly highlighted one NIC-supported program as an example of how state and federal support can be used to plan and implement a community corrections- based program. This Colorado program addresses the needs of women with mental illnesses who are under parole supervision. Speakers will highlight how this collaborative effort between local and state agencies blossomed into a promising model for addressing the needs of this population.

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Tim Murray, Executive Director of the Pretrial Justice Institute, gave closing remarks to the participants of the 2009 BJA training and technical assistance event. In this segment, Mr. Murray reminded the participants how much their work positively impacts the lives of those with mental illnesses, and encouraged and commended participants for their hard work and dedication.