Alternatives & Interventions in Criminal Justice
Goal: To ensure behavioral health and criminal justice collaboration and access to care for individuals through system-level partnerships.
Grants in this targeted area should aim to:
- Increase access to diversion, early interventions, competency restoration, and other opportunities to redirect people with mental health and substance use disorders away from the criminal justice system
- Bridge the gap between incarceration and release
- Improve behavioral health information and data sharing with first responders
Possible strategies to improve behavioral health systems in criminal justice:
- Embed behavioral health supports in courtrooms, jails, and halfway houses
- Increase education and engagement around family support
- Create incentives for seeking behavioral health treatment during incarceration
- Increase co-responders, diversify the workforce, and provide more training
- Place behavioral health staff in strategic areas (i.e. shelters, food banks, places individuals are already attending)
- Expand Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Naloxone availability, and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment
Gary A. Darling Grant Award
Behavioral Health Services will award the Gary A. Darling Grant to one stand-out program/project that applies for a Targeted Grant: Alternatives & Interventions in Criminal Justice.
