Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Training and Technical Assistance

Overview

The National Resource Center on Justice-Involved Women (NRCJIW), a CEPP initiative, worked in collaboration with the Council of State Governments (CSG) to develop and deliver specialized workshops, training, and technical assistance to support CSG’s work with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP). These workshops, training, and TA, geared toward criminal justice and treatment professionals, highlight evidence-based and gender-responsive practices for use with women in the criminal justice system.

Our Approach

The primary goal of JMHCP is to facilitate cross-system collaboration and increase access to mental health and other treatment services for people impacted by the justice system who have a mental illness or a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder. As part of this initiative, NRCJIW invited criminal justice and treatment professionals in JMHCP grant-funded jurisdictions to participate in communities of practice, which were conducted as a series of interactive virtual workshops that focus on the following topics:

• Adopting a Gender-Responsive Approach: An Introduction to the Gender-Responsive Resource Guide
• Equity and Intersectionality: Advancing Our Work with Women with Criminal Justice System Involvement
• Engagement and Case Management Strategies for Women
• Human Trafficking
• Women and Community Supervision

Through discussions, information sharing, joint activities, and problem-solving opportunities, participants learned about gender- and trauma-informed research and services that support positive outcomes for justice-involved women.

The Impact

Participants in the communities of practice gain a deeper understanding of evidence-based, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed practices that increase the likelihood of success for justice-impacted women and contribute to improved community well-being and safety.