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.
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
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.
‘Zero drowning’ program boosts safety and prevents deaths
Miami-Dade County, Fla. teaches children how to swim at no-cost and provide more community education around water safety, cutting down on what had been the leading cause of death for children ages 1-14.
The Michelle Alyssa Go Act: Why Reforming the IMD Exclusion Matters for County Behavioral Health
Reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in September 2025, the bipartisan Michelle Alyssa Go Act (H.R. 5462) aims to modernize the IMD exclusion and expand access to care.
Rural county program preps students for first responder careers
Okeechobee County, Fla.’s public safety career programs are giving young people the tools to jumpstart their careers and helping address the county’s workforce shortages in fire rescue, dispatch and law enforcement.
CMS issues guidance on six-month Medicaid renewals
On March 6, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to State Medicaid Directors with implementation guidance on six-month Medicaid renewals required under H.R. 1.
Information-sharing bill could protect court workers
The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act could provide more than 30,000 state and local judges with access to security assessments, best practices and a database of threats made against colleagues in the justice field.
California counties fight agricultural crime
Sheriffs' offices and prosecutors in California's central valley make specific efforts to prevent and prosecute crimes against the agricultural community.
Program Lead
