More than 240 counties across the country have signed on to the Stepping Up Initiative! Orange County (CA) officials will be traveling to Washington D.C. in April for a national summit focused on reducing the number of adults in jails with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, according to a county press release. A National Summit on Reducing the Prevalence of Individuals with Mental Illness in Jails will be held Sunday, April 17th, 2016 - Tuesday, April 19, 2016.
The National Association of Counties (NACo), the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) have come together to lead a national initiative to help advance counties’ efforts to reduce the number of adults with mental and co-occurring substance use disorders in jails. With support from the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, the initiative will build on the many innovative and proven practices being implemented across the country.
A Call to Action demonstrating strong county and state leadership and a shared commitment to a multi-step planning process that can achieve concrete results for jails in counties of all sizes. County elected officials are being asked to pass a resolution and work with other leaders (e.g., the sheriff, judges, district attorney, treatment providers, and state and local policymakers), people with mental illnesses and their advocates, and other stakeholders to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. http://www.naco.org/
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