Conferences, public meetings, or other forums can be important first steps in engaging policymakers on the issue of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Such events should bring together a wide array of stakeholders and provide plenty of opportunity for discussion.
Example: NAMI Alabama
NAMI Alabama has convened two statewide conferences to address the criminal justice and mental health issues. The conferences combined nationally known speakers with county-based breakout groups during which attendees planned advocacy efforts for their communities. As a result of the conferences, eight criminal justice/mental health tasks forces were established across the state, each with a different, locally determined focus.
Proceed to: "Form a community-wide coalition"
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