March 2010 CP e-Newsletter
Spotlight on JMHCP and Local Programs Database: Chatham-Savannah, GA
Each month, the Justice Center spotlights collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives that have received funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP ).
Starting this month, the Justice Center will also spotlight profiles from the Local Programs Database (LPD) that detail interesting collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives from around the country. This month the Justice Center spotlights the Chatham-Savannah Mental Health Court, a 2009 JMHCP expansion grantee, former 2006 planning grantee, and an active participant on the LPD.
Program Summary
The Chatham-Savannah Mental Health Court (CSMHC) began in September of 2007. The program targets adults who have a documented primary mental health diagnosis with or without a co-occurring substance abuse disorder and have been charged with a non-violent misdemeanor or felony. The program plans to expand its capacity by adding one case manager; participating in various training events; and incorporating other elements to the program such as drug screens and Sheriff's Department supervision.
Reminder: Using the Consensus Project’s Local Programs Database
The Consensus Project reminds readers to visit the newest version of the Local Programs Database (LPD). This online database catalogues profiles of mental health courts, specialized law enforcement programs, and other local and state-based mental health/criminal justice programs throughout the country. The new LPD features many improvements that make it one of the strongest information-sharing tools in the field of criminal justice/mental health.
Mar 16 Coming Soon! New Resource on Officer Encounters Involving People with Mental Illnesses Addresses Local Needs
The CSG Justice Center will soon release Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: Tailoring Law Enforcement Initiatives to Individual Jurisdictions—a report that explores the program design process for various specialized policing models, including crisis intervention teams, law enforcement/mental health co-response teams, and case management approaches. It takes into account jurisdiction size and problem type, demographics, mental health and law enforcement agency resources, and relevant state laws. Tailoring is meant to assist individuals who want to select or adapt program features from models that will be most effective in their communities. The publication is the result of a project conducted by the Justice Center and Police Executive Research Forum, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. It will be available for free download through the Consensus Project Law Enforcement webpage on March 16.
Suzanne Brown-McBride Named Deputy Director of CSG Justice Center
The Justice Center is pleased to announce that Suzanne Brown-McBride joined the organization as its deputy director on March 1, 2010. In her new position, Ms. Brown-McBride will manage the Justice Center’s operations and oversee its projects, including the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, the Reentry Policy Council, and the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.