Leveraging NACo’s behavioral health and justice initiatives

Of the 11 million admissions to county and other local jails each year, an estimated two million of them involve a person with a serious mental illness. Nearly three quarters of people with serious mental illness such as bipolar disorder, major depression or schizophrenia who are arrested and detained in jail also have a co-occurring substance use disorder.

Ensuring that these individuals have access to appropriate and quality health care while they are detained and are connected to treatment and services immediately upon release from jail is key to their recovery and to keeping them from returning to jail.

Counties across the country are building innovative partnerships and policies to ensure that people with behavioral health treatment and other medical needs are receiving it before, during and after a jail stay. Not only do these partnerships result in positive outcomes for individuals served, but they support efficient use of scarce county resources.

NACo has several initiatives to support this work happening locally that all counties are welcome and encouraged to join and leverage as they continue their own efforts to support their residents.

Stepping Up

More than 500 counties have committed to implementing innovative policies, practices and programs to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders in jails through the national Stepping Up initiative.

Stepping Up is a partnership between NACo, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation that provides counties with a framework for strategic planning and collaboration across local behavioral health and justice agencies. From training law enforcement officers and providing crisis services to helping people get connected to treatment and housing upon release from jail, Stepping Up counties are reducing their jail populations and improving the way they interact with their most vulnerable residents. Find out more at www.NACo.org/SteppingUp.

Data-Driven Justice

In addition, 96 counties engage in Data-Driven Justice (DDJ), a project of NACo and Arnold Ventures that supports jurisdictions in their efforts to share data and information to better align local resources to respond to people experiencing a behavioral health crisis. In any given community, a small number of individuals cycle through health, human services and justice systems, including homelessness services, hospitals and jails. Counties are using this project to create partnerships to share data so they can identify these “frequent utilizers” and collaborate to provide better services and supports to these individuals to help in their recovery and long-term success.

From navigating HIPAA and building technology platforms to pairing law enforcement officers with mental health clinicians, DDJ communities are collaborating to improve outcomes for people in crisis. Find out more at www.NACo.org/DataDrivenJustice.