1
|
Bonfine N, Barrenger SL, Munetz MR. Approaching Jail Diversion and Prevention of Criminal Legal System Involvement Simultaneously. Psychiatr Serv 2024; 75:489-491. [PMID: 38050441 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite prolific jail diversion initiatives, people with serious mental illness continue to be overrepresented in the criminal legal system. This continued overrepresentation has led to recent calls to address social determinants of health and criminal risk factors rather than to allocate new resources to diverting people from the criminal legal system. This shift toward prevention by addressing social factors that influence health and criminal legal outcomes should occur alongside a continued focus on diversion to understand what works and for whom. An effective, well-funded, and comprehensive community-based mental health services system could serve as the ultimate intercept for preventing criminal legal system involvement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Bonfine
- Department of Psychiatry, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown
| | | | - Mark R Munetz
- Department of Psychiatry, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Balfour ME, Hahn Stephenson A, Delany-Brumsey A, Winsky J, Goldman ML. Cops, Clinicians, or Both? Collaborative Approaches to Responding to Behavioral Health Emergencies. Psychiatr Serv 2022; 73:658-669. [PMID: 34666512 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How a community responds to behavioral health emergencies is both a public health issue and social justice issue. Individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis often receive inadequate care in emergency departments (EDs), boarding for hours or days while waiting for treatment. Such crises also account for a quarter of police shootings and >2 million jail bookings per year. Racism and implicit bias magnify these problems for people of color. Growing support for reform provides an unprecedented opportunity for meaningful change, but solutions to this complex issue will require comprehensive systemic approaches. As communities grapple with behavioral health emergencies, the question is not just whether law enforcement should respond to behavioral health emergencies but how to reduce unnecessary law enforcement contact and, if law enforcement is responding, when, how, and with what support. This policy article reviews best practices for law enforcement crisis responses, outlines the components of a comprehensive continuum-of-crisis care model that provides alternatives to law enforcement involvement and ED use, and offers strategies for collaboration and alignment between law enforcement and clinicians toward common goals. Finally, policy considerations regarding stakeholder engagement, financing, data management, legal statutes, and health equity are presented to assist communities interested in taking steps to build these needed solutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret E Balfour
- Connections Health Solutions, Tucson, Arizona (Balfour); Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson (Balfour); public sector consultant, Carolina Beach, North Carolina (Hahn Stephenson); Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York City (Delany-Brumsey); Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Arizona (Winsky); San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco (Goldman); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco (Goldman)
| | - Arlene Hahn Stephenson
- Connections Health Solutions, Tucson, Arizona (Balfour); Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson (Balfour); public sector consultant, Carolina Beach, North Carolina (Hahn Stephenson); Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York City (Delany-Brumsey); Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Arizona (Winsky); San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco (Goldman); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco (Goldman)
| | - Ayesha Delany-Brumsey
- Connections Health Solutions, Tucson, Arizona (Balfour); Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson (Balfour); public sector consultant, Carolina Beach, North Carolina (Hahn Stephenson); Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York City (Delany-Brumsey); Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Arizona (Winsky); San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco (Goldman); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco (Goldman)
| | - Jason Winsky
- Connections Health Solutions, Tucson, Arizona (Balfour); Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson (Balfour); public sector consultant, Carolina Beach, North Carolina (Hahn Stephenson); Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York City (Delany-Brumsey); Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Arizona (Winsky); San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco (Goldman); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco (Goldman)
| | - Matthew L Goldman
- Connections Health Solutions, Tucson, Arizona (Balfour); Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson (Balfour); public sector consultant, Carolina Beach, North Carolina (Hahn Stephenson); Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York City (Delany-Brumsey); Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Arizona (Winsky); San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco (Goldman); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco (Goldman)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kamin D, Weisman RL, Lamberti JS. Promoting Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collaboration Through System-Level Partnerships. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:805649. [PMID: 35178003 PMCID: PMC8844546 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.805649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent high-profile deaths of unarmed individuals in police custody have raised concerns about the role of police officers in responding to people who are experiencing mental health crises. Of further concern, people with serious mental illness are highly over-represented throughout the entire criminal justice system including within jail, prison and community corrections populations. It is widely accepted that promoting mental health and criminal justice collaboration is a key to addressing these concerns. Promoting effective collaboration is challenging, however, due to fundamental differences in cultures and methods that exist between mental health and criminal justice service providers. To promote effective collaboration between service providers, a conceptual framework was recently published that divides the collaborative process into separate steps and outlines respective responsibilities at each step. Yet optimal collaboration between mental health and criminal justice service providers requires the support of their respective supervisors and agency heads. This paper extends previous work at the service provider level by applying the conceptual framework to promote effective collaboration at the systems level (i.e., between agencies). Barriers to inter-agency collaboration are discussed, and strategies for facilitating collaboration at each step of the collaborative process are presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Don Kamin
- Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration, Rochester, NY, United States
- Monroe County Office of Mental Health, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Robert L. Weisman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - J. Steven Lamberti
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vaughan AD, Hewitt AN, Verdun-Jones SN, Brink J. A retrospective records study of patterns in mental health and criminal justice service use by people found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH : CBMH 2021; 31:331-342. [PMID: 34525231 DOI: 10.1002/cbm.2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the presence or absence of previous healthcare and criminal justice system (CJS) contacts in the histories of mentally ill offenders has been well-studied, the frequency of these contacts and when they occur in the period leading up to an index criminal event has received less research attention. AIMS To explore patterns of healthcare and CJS use in the year prior to a criminal act leading to a Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder (NCRMD) finding in Canada. METHODS In this 3-year retrospective records study, the case files of all patients newly admitted to the British Columbia forensic psychiatric system after a finding of NCRMD between 1st July 2012 and 31st July 2015 were reviewed. Data were extracted on healthcare and CJS use for the 12 months before the act leading to the NCRMD finding. Time-based descriptive statistics and two-step cluster analysis were used to investigate service use patterns. RESULTS Among 94 eligible patients, only four had no service contacts in the year leading up to the index event, leaving 90 in the cohort for further analysis. On average, these 90 patients had seven contacts with health or criminal justice services in the year prior to the index offence. Cluster analysis revealed a high healthcare pathway group who had had many healthcare and few CJS contacts; a limited service user group who had had few contacts of any kind and a heavy service user group who had had a high volume of contacts with both types of service providers. CONCLUSIONS The different patterns of patient contact prior to the index event imply that each practitioner-type has distinct and temporally relevant opportunities to provide preventative interventions to their patients or user groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Vaughan
- School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ashley N Hewitt
- School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Simon N Verdun-Jones
- School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Johann Brink
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|