August 2024 | Edited by Aisha Jamil

INSIDE: Behavioral Health Data Elements Guide for Courts; Strategy Lab; and more.

The Latest

Judges Advocate for Better Services for “Familiar Faces”

Judges continue to play leading roles in expanding support for “familiar faces”—people with the highest rates of justice involvement and emergency service usage who often suffer from untreated behavioral health issues and who frequently cycle through local systems, with enormous human, fiscal, and public safety costs.

Just two recent examples: Justice Briana Zamora of the New Mexico Supreme Court and Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs from the Supreme Court of Georgia wrote an opinion piece covering work done in their states to stop this revolving door in the latest issue of Judicature from Duke Law School.

They write, “Understanding mental illness and addiction is rarely thought of as part of the necessary education for judges. Yet judges … are continually forced to confront the effects of unaddressed behavioral health issues on our judicial systems … As leaders in our states’ judiciaries, we feel obligated to assist in remediating this problem.” The article features work done by The Council for State Governments (CSG) Justice Center’s States Supporting Familiar Faces project, which released a report of their work in Georgia and New Mexico late last year.

Chief Justice Boggs and Justice Zamora note, “We are not alone. All the nation’s chief justices have endorsed the importance of judicial leadership in addressing the intersection of mental illness and criminal justice.”

Excellence in Action

Source: The Telegraph, Houston County judge to fill in on Georgia Supreme Court | Macon Telegraph

Judge Katherine K. Lumsden, Perry/Houston County, GA

As the presiding judge for the Perry/Houston County, GA, Accountability and Drug Court, Judge Katherine K. Lumsden has been instrumental in implementing programs to address mental health and substance use for people in the court system. She conveys an empathetic approach from the bench and is engaged in advocacy work at local and state levels to improve outcomes for people involved in the criminal justice system who are experiencing behavioral health issues. She focuses on ensuring that access to and outcomes of diversion are equitable. Her efforts include developing diversion pathways from the justice system to treatment and community supports; promoting trauma-informed practices with all court personnel to create a culture that supports recovery; and collaborating closely with mental health providers and other community organizations.

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Take Action

In our previous newsletter, we polled subscribers about data collection and how they use it to identify gaps and areas for improvement. We received 56 responses; 12 answered “yes” to collecting data regularly; 30 answered “the court would like to, but requires resources we don’t have,” and 14 answered “no, the court has not considered it.”

To help support data collection efforts and what data elements courts should consider, we offer a guide for state courts on collecting behavioral health data from the National Judicial Task Force Examining State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness.

Section 1 describes key data elements and analyses for examining behavioral health in criminal cases, including competency and restoration processes and diversion programming.

Section 2 describes key data elements and analyses for examining cases involving petitions for court-ordered evaluation and treatment.

Section 3 describes data elements and analyses for examining behavioral health in juvenile justice cases.

Learn more here: Behavioral Health Data Elements Guide for the State Courts (ncsc.org)

Publications, Resources, and Support

Justice and Behavioral Health Strategy Lab

This newly updated interactive resource library features example programs, practices, and project coordination materials from sites around the country working at the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health systems.

Vera Institute of Justice’s Motion for Justice 2024 Request for Proposals: Expanding Equitable Access to Diversion

The Vera Institute of Justice’s Reshaping Prosecution program is accepting applications from prosecutors' offices interested in receiving technical assistance focused on increasing public safety and centering racial equity through diversion programs. Vera will provide training, support, and data analysis to prosecutor offices that partner with a community-based organization to launch or expand a diversion program that promotes community safety by centering racial equity. Applications are due September 6, 2024.

Policy priorities to improve mental health unveiled in National Association of Counties (NACo) commission final report

The NACo Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing unveiled their policy priorities to improve mental health in July 2024 in their report “From Crisis to Solutions: Policy Catalysts for Improved Outcomes.” The policy recommendations include enhancing local crisis response systems, strengthening the mental health workforce, and enforcing mental health parity. JPLI Co-Chair Judge Steve Leifman is a current member of this Commission.

Recent and Upcoming JPLI Trainings

California Presiding Judge Conference, San Francisco, CA

August 15, 2024

To help support efforts in California to train judges in improving responses to individuals with behavioral health issues, Judge James Bianco and Dr. Sarah Vinson provided a one-hour session sampling the content from the JPLI curriculum for the presiding judges to learn more about the learning objectives and goals of JPLI.

Missouri Judicial College, St. Louis, MO

August 21, 2024

Judge Cotton Walker and Dr. Elizabeth Homan Sandoval delivered the 90-minute JPLI curriculum at the Missouri Judicial College. This is one of two Judicial College sessions this year (the other is scheduled for November and is open to all members of the judiciary in Missouri).

The Council of Accountability Court Judges, Athens, GA

September 16, 2024

Judge Sarah Harris and Dr. Sarah Vinson will deliver a 75-minute JPLI session at the annual Accountability Courts Conference. Approaches to improve a court system’s response to people with mental health conditions will be discussed. The content will focus on helping judges understand what is important to know when making decisions in these types of cases and the skills needed to help increase positive outcomes.

Kentucky District Judges College, Lexington, KY

September 17, 2024

Judge John Tackett, Dr. Kelly Clark, and Dr. Eric Lesch will deliver a 75-minute JPLI session at the fall District Judges College. The session will include an overview of common mental health and substance use disorders judges encounter in their courtrooms to set the foundation for learning throughout the training. Using an interactive format, the trainers will present strategies for cases involving people with mental health issues and will include recommendations on interactional style and approach, and skills to help increase positive outcomes.

The Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative is a partnership of the CSG Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, funded by Janssen Charitable Contributions to create a community of judges and psychiatrists, increase the reach of trainings, and develop educational resources.

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