BJA Mental Health Court Learning Sites Gather at National Forum in Washington D.C.
BJA Mental Health Court Learning Sites
Akron (OH) Municipal Mental Health Court
Bonneville County (ID) Mental Health Court
Bronx County (NY) Mental Health Court
Dougherty Superior Court (GA) Mental Health Court
Washoe County (NV) Mental Health Court
For more information on the learning sites, click here |
Representatives from the five Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Mental Health Court learning sites recently gathered in Washington, D.C. for a two-day forum to discuss their courts role as a learning site and begin preparations to provide technical assistance to peers across the country.
The forum, held June 14 15, was coordinated by BJA and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project. At the event, members of the learning sites interacted with representatives from BJA and CSG, expert consultants who helped identify the learning sites, guest speakers from national criminal justice and mental health organizations, and members of their Congressional delegations.
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Rep. Ted Strickland (center) and members
of the Akron Municipal Mental Health Court |
To download the agenda, click here.
U.S. Representative Ted Strickland (D OH) and BJA Director Domingo S. Herraiz provided keynote addresses at the forum. Rep. Strickland, principal sponsor of the bill that authorized the Mental Health Courts Program, spoke of his experiences working as a psychologist in a maximum security prison and how it informed his commitment to increase collaboration between the criminal justice and mental health systems.
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Sen. Harry Reid (right) and Judge Peter Breen
of the Washoe County Mental Health Court |
In his remarks, Director Herraiz commented on the unique practical expertise that learning sites can provide to peers across the country who are interested in developing and refining mental health courts in their jurisdictions. He also emphasized BJAs commitment to improving its assistance to mental health courts based on feedback from the sites.
Throughout the event, learning site representatives worked with expert consultants who offered guidance on how to improve individual sites operations and discussed general themes and challenges related to providing technical assistance.
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Sen. Mike Crapo (center), Judge Brent Moss,
and Randy Rodriguez of the Bonneville County
Mental Health Court |
Learning site representatives also consulted with guest speakers from the National Center for State Courts, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, NAMI, and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare on how to best engage state, county, and local mental health partners to support program development and operations.
In conjunction with the forum, learning site representatives met with members of their Congressional delegations including Sen. Harry Reid (D NV), Sen. Mike Crapo (R ID), Sen. Mike DeWine (R OH), and Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R GA) to provide information on mental health courts and their courts selection as a learning site.
For more background on the identification of the learning sites click here.
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Mentally Ill Offender Grant Program Receives $5 Million for FY 2007
On June 29, the House of Representatives passed its fiscal year 2007 Science, State, Justice, Commerce (SSJC) appropriations bill. In the bill, the House reserved $5 million for mental health courts and adult and juvenile collaboration program grants authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. In addition, the Senate Appropriations Committee has reserved $5 million for the program in its version of the bill, which will now head to the Senate floor.
Key supporters of the program include Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA), Chairman of the SSJC Subcommittee, and MIOTCRA cosponsors Congressmen Ted Strickland (D-OH) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), who also sits on the CJS subcommittee. Each of these key Members of Congress has worked closely with colleagues to ensure continued funding for the program.
The grant program, called the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and provides grants to states to improve collaboration between criminal justice and mental health agencies. The program received $5 million in FY '06 and BJA recently closed its applications for this fiscal year.
Click here for more information on the House spending bill, including its full text and cosponsors, and click here for more information on the Senates version. For more information on FY '07 appropriations, contact Hope Glassberg.
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Bill Limiting Use of Disciplinary Segregation in Prison Heads to New York Governor's Desk for Signature
In late June, the New York State Senate unanimously passed a bill that would limit the use of special housing units (SHUs) in disciplinary segregation of prisoners with mental illness. The bill, which also calls for expanded mental health resources in prisons, will now head to Governor George Pataki for consideration.
The bill was originally introduced several years ago by Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry (D Queens), chairman of the Assembly Corrections Committee and former chair of the CSG/Eastern Regional Conference Criminal Justice Board of Directors. Through bipartisan legislative support and advocacy efforts, the bill passed both the Assembly and Senate this year.
If enacted, the bill would prohibit prison officials from placing individuals in SHUs once learning of their mental illness. The bill would also establish residential mental health treatment programs for correctional facilities and annual trainings on mental illness for Department of Corrections staff.
Senators Michael F. Nozzolio (R Fayette), chairman of the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections; Dale Volker (R Depew); Nick Spano (R Yonkers); and Thomas Morahan (R New City) introduced the bill to the Senate floor. Other long time bill supporters include Senators Tom Duane (WFP Manhattan) and Liz Kruger (D Manhattan), both of whom spoke in support of the legislation at the Senate hearing on the bill.
A broad range of organizations have also supported the bill including NAMI-New York State, New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, and the Correctional Association of New York.
Click here for more information on the bill.
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Announcements
Fred Osher, M.D., to Join Council of State Governments' Criminal Justice Program
Dr. Osher will serve as the Criminal Justice Program's Director of Health Systems and Services Policy and work from the program's new offices in Bethesda, Maryland.
Save the date - Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) National Conference, September 25-27, 2006, Orlando, FL
This national conference is designed to highlight effective community collaborations that are responding to the needs of those with mental illnesses including co-occurring substance use disorders.
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Releases "People with Mental Illness" Publication
The COPS Office has just released "People with Mental Illness," guide #40 in its Problem-Specific Guides Series.
GAINS/TAPA Center Releases Mental Health/Jail Diversion Cost Simulation Planning Tool Solicitation
The GAINS/TAPA Center for Jail Diversion in partnership with the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) is soliciting applications from jurisdictions interested in using the HSRI Mental Health/Jail Diversion Cost Simulation Planning Tool.
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Criminal Justice and Mental Health in the News
Articles from the Consensus Project homepage--from newspapers around the country--covering issues at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice are posted below. To access a complete list of media coverage, visit the media coverage page.
Weekend America Public Radio - Mental Health Courts
7/8/06 - "Over the last decade, courts designed to work with offenders who have severe mental illnesses have sprung up across the country."
Pensacola News Journal (FL) - Editorial: Jail problem's roots lie in mental health policies
6/17/06 - "The real problem is that we continue to expect law enforcement to deal with people with mental and emotional problems that require medical treatment."
The Courier News (IL) - Kane awaits fed money for mental health court
6/15/06 - "A Kane County Board committee on Wednesday approved a budget transfer of $15,000 to cover costs of the new Mental Health Court."
Austin American-Statesman (TX) - Editorial: Crews - Mentally ill defendants offered better legal aid
6/6/06 - "The program was designed to teach officers 'specialized skills that will enable them to interact with individuals who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed in ways that are safe, appropriate, and effective.'"
The Indianapolis Star (IN) - Cells will open for isolated inmates
6/3/06 - "This kind of support could help reduce the lengthier jail stays experienced by defendants with serious mental illness."
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