Announcement for 06/15/10
Justice Center Seeks Four Law Enforcement/Mental Health Learning Sites
The Council of State Governments Justice Center, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), has issued a request for applications from law enforcement agencies interested in participating in a new project, Specialized Policing Responses: Law Enforcement/Mental Health Learning Sites. This initiative will focus on identifying agencies with a range of effective specialized policing responses to serve as resources for other law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Justice Center staff, with input from BJA and an expert Advisory Board, will select four law enforcement agencies from across the nation to become learning sites. These sites will foster peer-to-peer learning and promote the sharing of expertise among law enforcement agencies working to improve responses to people with mental illnesses in their jurisdictions. Learning sites need not be considered ideal models, but each should demonstrate a commitment to the ten essential elements of a specialized policing response (SPR) program, while maintaining flexibility in designing their programs to meet their communities’ needs.
Sites will be chosen based on a number of criteria described in the overview, and in particular, the agencies will be selected to represent diversity in jurisdiction characteristics, program model, populations served, and program strengths. The complete list of selection criteria is available in the project overview, which is available online at www.consensusproject.org/jc_publications/LE_MH_learning_sites. The application can also be downloaded as a PDF from that page.
Please submit applications to Elizabeth Dodd either via email edodd@csg.org) or fax (212-482-2344) by Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Applications may also be mailed to:
Council of State Governments Justice Center
Attn: Elizabeth Dodd
100 Wall Street, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10005
For more details, please contact Elizabeth Dodd at edodd@csg.org.
Law enforcement agencies that apply but are not selected may be added to a national database listing law enforcement-based responses to individuals with mental illnesses.