NCJ Number
250542
Date Published
January 2017
Length
1 page
Annotation
This fact sheet reviews the objectives and grant categories of the Federal Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP).
Abstract
The goal of JMHCP is to improve responses to and outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who come into contact with the justice system. The JMHCP supports early intervention and diversion for multi-system-involved individuals; cross-training for justice and treatment professionals; and improved communication, collaboration, and coordination of support services between justice professionals and treatment and related service providers, as well as with governmental partners. For FY 2017, the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the grant administrator, revised JMHCP goals to diminish facilitating small-scale programming to provide support for system-wide improvement in policies and practices at the local and State levels. The new track supports planning efforts that will launch or improve police and mental health collaborations, so as to improve law enforcement responses to people experiencing mental health crises. JMHCP grants and technical assistance are available to States, local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes. Projects must be jointly administered by a criminal or juvenile justice agency and a mental health agency. Since FY 2006, BJA has awarded $70 million to 380 jurisdictions. The two examples of JMHCP success stories are the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office's (CA) grant that expanded the county's local Crisis Intervention Team, and the San Marco Police Department's (TX) use of grant funds to create the position of a mental health officer, who serves as a liaison between the police agency and community agencies that provide mental health services.