Behavioral Health and Justice Programming
NACo’s behavioral health and justice programs strengthen county leadership and foster innovation in our delivery of behavioral health crisis services and a fair and efficient justice system. Participating counties are implementing best practices to separate individuals in crisis from justice involvement, enhance behavioral health prevention and care, improve outcomes for youth and enhance data sharing and coordination across systems and levels of government.
“Those [behavioral health peer exchanges] have been a wonderful opportunity to see some of the great work that’s happening in different parts of the country in real time. It also gave us an opportunity to assess how far along we are in terms of developing some of the system enhancements…”
– Candace Andersen, Supervisor, Contra Costa County, Calif.
Current Programming
County Behavioral Health Crisis Response
Through technical assistance, national partnerships and member-driven initiatives, NACo’s County Behavioral Health Crisis Response programs equip county leaders with resources, peer learning opportunities and national initiatives that strengthen local behavioral health systems.
Youth Justice
Through technical assistance, national partnerships and member-driven initiatives, NACo’s Youth Justice programming equips county leaders with resources and peer learning opportunities to strengthen local youth justice systems.
Public Safety Workforce Initiative
Through research, peer learning and technical assistance, NACo’s Public Safety Workforce Initiative (PSWF) helps county leaders understand and address challenges in recruitment and retention to strengthen and support the workforce that powers local public safety systems.
Recent Past Programming
County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network
NACo’s County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network (CJJIN) sought to strengthen counties' practical understanding and capacity to address the needs of youth involved in their local juvenile justice systems. This peer learning network focused on innovative practices and evidence-based resources to inform strategic action planning and investment in the well-being and future of youth within participating communities.
CJJIN concluded in Fall 2024.
CORE Justice Network
The CORE Justice Network was a group of county officials working to drive change in the criminal legal system. The cohort focused on innovative, county-led approaches to equity, exploring policies, practices and programs with measurable impact on justice-involved populations.
Familiar Faces Initiative
The Familiar Faces Initiative aimed to reduce incarceration and hospitalization rates for individuals frequently cycling through jails, shelters and emergency services. The program encouraged communities to share data and integrate care between health and justice systems for earlier intervention, improving outcomes for these "familiar faces."
Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions
Reaching Rural is a 1-year initiative designed for rural justice and public safety practitioners.
The Stepping Up Initiative
The Stepping Up Initiative is a data-driven framework that aims to reduce the overincarceration of people with mental illnesses in jails through training, resources, and support that are tailored to local needs.
How to Get Involved
- Join the Mental Health Partners newsletter featuring our latest news and resources.
- Join the national Stepping Up initiative to reduce mental illness in jails.
Sign Up for Updates
Key Resources
County Leader’s Guide to Building and Sustaining Justice Innovation
County leaders recognize that innovation does not end after the introduction of a promising practice. Sustaining innovation requires ongoing commitment, strategic planning and collaboration. The guide is designed to empower county elected officials and local justice system leaders with tools and strategies to ensure lasting, positive change in local criminal legal systems.
NACo Brief: County Innovations in Public Safety Workforce Recruitment and Retention
Recent cultural and economic changes such as competitive markets, declining applicant pools, misaligned workplace expectations, high turnover and population shifts have led to public safety workforce challenges in counties nationwide. This brief highlights innovative ways that counties are addressing recruitment and retention challenges.
Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils (CJCC) Resource Hub
Counties advancing criminal justice often rely on a formalized body, like a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), to guide decision-making. NACo's CJCC Resource Hub offers valuable information for counties looking to establish or strengthen their CJCCs.
Spotlighting Local Leadership: Strengthening the Behavioral Health Continuum of Care
Counties play a critical role in supporting community members living with a behavioral health condition or experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Promoting Health and Safety Through a Behavioral Health Continuum of Care
By forming strategic partnerships throughout health and justice systems, county leaders are better serving residents with behavioral health conditions such as mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
Probation Landscape Web Tool
County governments play a central role in public safety and the administration of justice. Cumulatively, counties invest $107 billion in justice and public safety efforts each year. One component of the criminal legal system is community supervision.
Counties reassess license plate surveillance amid privacy concerns
Counties across the country are grappling with how to address mass public backlash against local governments’ use of Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers.
Supreme Court hears county climate case
Boulder County, Colo.'s brief to the Supreme Court contends that ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy “intentionally misled the public” about the impacts of climate change and should pay for damage they say is caused by fossil fuels’ contribution to it.
Orange County, N.C. youth justice efforts eye productive outcomes
Rather than moving them deeper into the juvenile justice system, the Youth Deflection Program “deflects” first-time offenders and youth who commit low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors toward appropriate, community-based services.
U.S. House introduces the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Funding Improvement Act to provide upfront security funds to nonprofits
The U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Funding Improvement Act to provide advance funding to nonprofits receiving federal awards for security improvements.
Transforming Public Defense Operations for the Digital Evidence Era
Learn how the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office tackles surging digital evidence and case workloads using Box to achieve functional parity, automate document lifecycles, and securely query unstructured discovery.
2026 Fall Board of Directors Meeting and Building Better Futures: A County Leaders' Symposium on Youth Outcomes
Hosted by NACo President George Dunlap as part of his presidential spotlight, in partnership with NACo’s Board of Directors and Large Urban County Caucus, the event will focus on practical strategies and collaborative approaches that counties can advance at the local level—from proven prevention and early intervention models to cross-sector partnerships that align resources and expand opportunity.
Program Lead
