National Association of Counties
In January 2017, Stepping Up released Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jail: Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask (Six Questions), a report intended to help county leaders determine to what extent their county’s efforts will have a system-level impact that not only results in fewer people with mental illnesses in jail but also does so in a way that increases public safety, applies resources most effectively and puts more people on a path to recovery. This guide is designed to complement the Six Questions report by providing context around the importance of each of the six questions and suggesting questions for county elected officials to ask of key stakeholders in their county.
To assess their community’s efforts to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jail, county leaders should ask the following questions:
Stepping Up is a national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails and is the result of a partnership between the National Association of Counties, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation and The Council of State Governments Justice Center. Find out more at StepUpTogether.org.
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<p>Counties are directing resources to programs, practices and policies to reduce the overuse and misuse of the criminal legal system, improve public safety, better serve residents with behavioral health conditions and improve communit
<p>Reducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.</p>
<p>Counties play a key role in public health at the local level, as the conveners of multi-sector stakeholders, administrators of federal health-funding programs, like Medicaid, and providers of many crucial health services for residen
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