Behavioral Health Conditions Reach Crisis Levels: Counties Urge Stronger Intergovernmental Partnership and Outcomes
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Counties are facing an acute escalation of the mental and behavioral health crisis. In a recent NACo survey, 75 percent of counties reported an increase in the incidence of behavioral health conditions over the past year and 89 percent reported an increase compared to five years ago. While counties work to respond, the financial and human cost of behavioral health is compounding across all county systems: 80 percent of counties indicated that they incurred associated costs in the legal system (courts and jails), 77 percent in law enforcement and 54 percent in the health system and hospitals.
Counties are integral to the local behavioral health system of care, investing $163 billion each year in community health, hospitals and social services, as well as $107 billion in justice and public safety systems. In at least 33 states, counties may provide traditional behavioral health services, but county leaders in every state are confronting the need to innovate when it comes to mental health, whether in county courts, jails, juvenile justice systems, hospitals, parks, libraries, housing and homelessness services or other service areas – especially other services to youth.
Despite the severity of the crisis and its strain on our resources, counties across the nation are: (1) Persevering in expanding direct or indirect behavioral health service systems to care for our residents, and (2) Advocating for federal and intergovernmental policies that support our goal of serving residents and addressing the mental and behavioral health crisis.
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NACo Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing
Counties increasingly handle direct mental health services, acting as the safety net for vulnerable residents and operating crisis lines, hospitals and detention centers. NACo’s Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing unites county leaders to address the mental health crisis through four key policy priorities.
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State Funding for County Behavioral Health Crisis Services: Examples and Opportunities
This webinar is hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts and the MacArthur Foundation.
Unlock the Power of CJCCs: Responsive Policies Through Community Engagement
Active community collaboration is crucial for shaping county operations and policy priorities. Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils (CJCCs) are one approach to ensure that community members are involved in county governance. Many counties form CJCCs to identify systemic challenges and work across stakeholders to guide local policy to improve public safety.
In this webinar, NACo explores how ongoing and consistent community engagement enhances the impact of CJCCs and how these bodies can serve as effective tools for county leaders to actively involve their residents. Learn from real-world examples and discover strategies to create a more responsive and inclusive criminal legal system.
Unlock the Power of Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils is NACo’s series on how counties can develop and leverage CJCCs to more effectively administer and strengthen their criminal legal system. Learn more at NACo’s CJCC Resource Hub.
Stage CARES (Community Abatement Resources & Economic Solutions): Patent-Pending, Evidence-Based Tools to Solve the Opioid Epidemic at County and State Levels
Join us for a NACo Sponsored webinar to spotlight Stage CARES – Community Abatement Resources Economic Solutions. CARES is designed to help counties and states effectively solve their opioid epidemic through innovative, evidence-based tools and strategies. This session will share insights from national and local leaders.
Discover how CARES patent-pending technology provides data-driven recommendations along with program cost estimates from Stage Analytics’ Co-founders and Principals, Dr. Caleb Alexander, and Dr. Bill Padula.
Learn how to develop evidence-based plans and budgets for your county’s opioid abatement strategy.
Gain practical knowledge from local leaders on how CARES enables efficient collaboration and coordination among stakeholders.
Explore the platform’s capabilities in collecting, measuring, and visualizing real-time, compliant data to meet settlement requirements.
This webinar offers a unique opportunity to see firsthand how Stage CARES can empower your community with the tools and insights needed to solve your opioid epidemic. Don’t miss out—reserve your spot today!