Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
July 6, 2005, Vol. 05-100

New Guide Available for Criminal Justice Professionals on Mental Health Services

The SAMHSA/CMHS-supported GAINS Technical Assistance and Policy Analysis Center on Jail Diversion has recently released the publication entitled "Overview of the Mental Health Service System for Criminal Justice Professionals" available at: http://www.gainscenter.samhsa.gov/pdfs/jail_diversion/MassaroII.pdf.

This publication provides criminal justice professionals with basic information about the adult mental health service system, and it highlights some of the common challenges for the mental health and criminal justice service systems in meeting the needs of adults with mental illness. It is intended as a reference for judges and other court personnel, attorneys, jail services, prison services, diversion programs, probation departments, parole services, alternative to incarceration programs, and law enforcement.

The GAINS Technical Assistance and Policy Analysis Center for Jail Diversion (TAPA), has made available a companion monograph for mental health service providers, Working with People with Mental Illness Involved with the Criminal Justice Systems: What Mental Health Service Providers Need to Know (Massaro, 2004), which may be useful to providers that fill both criminal justice and mental health roles (available at: <http://www.gainscenter.samhsa.gov/pdfs/jail_diversion/Massaro.pdf>).

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDFs.

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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.