Products and Resources Catalog

Recording of the event Not Their Crime but Still Their Sentence: Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents, originally held on April 29, 2021.   Slide Presentation

Recording of the event Early Psychosis and the Justice System, originally held on April 21, 2021.   Slide Presentation

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This is the third and final webinar in a three-part webinar series related to forensic mental health.  Individuals with a serious mental illness (SMI) are at least three times more likely to be treated in a forensic setting than in a mainstream mental health setting, effectively making high-security settings the primary frontier for SMI treatment. Recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, person-centered, and evidence-based practices can and should be delivered in a way that is responsive to both therapeutics and security. This presentation will provide a brief overview of empirically-supported treatments for forensically-housed individuals with SMI, with a focus on cognitive behavioral therapies. Learning Objectives Learners will become familiar with national and international guidelines on the provision of care to individuals with serious mental illness who are housed in high-security settings. Learners will be able to list the evidence-based psychosocial interventions indicated for this population. Learners will hear about empirically-supported benefits of recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, person-centered, and evidence-based care to both the individual and system. Learners will be able identify core considerations and strategies for delivering person-centered cognitive behavioral therapy to adults with a serious mental illness in high security settings. Find out more about our forensic mental health webinar series here. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Download webinar slides   FACILITATOR Sarah L. Kopelovich, JD Sarah L. Kopelovich, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in serious mental illness and forensic psychology. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and serves as core faculty with the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL), the SPIRIT Lab, the Northwest MHTTC, and the Washington State Center of Excellence in Early Psychosis. Dr. Kopelovich specializes in evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments for schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This is the second webinar in a three-part webinar series related to forensic mental health. Research and policy communication experts, Sarah Walker, PhD, and Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, share scholarly perspectives and their personal experiences of working in the 'research to policy' process, including how to gauge and utilize policymakers' interests, and the research to date on tested models of evidence-informed policymaking. They discuss the importance of intentionally building relationships to create change at local, state, and national levels, and how to better find and speak to important audiences for effective dissemination of results and findings to increase reach and impact of your work. Learning Objectives Learn the most common ways research is used and research use is facilitated in policymaking Hear strategies for how to partner and tailor research to increase the likelihood that it will be used by policymakers Be able to craft the first steps for moving research forward for public health impact Find out more about our forensic mental health webinar series here. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Download webinar slides   FACILITATORS Jennifer Piel, MD, JD   Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and the Director of the University’s Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law. She received the 2017 American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, in part, for her advocacy for persons with mental illness who have criminal justice involvement. She is the Legal Digest Editor for the Journal of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She specializes in psycho-legal assessment, research, and education.       Sarah Cusworth Walker, PhD Sarah Cusworth Walker, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor and Director of a research to policy center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Her center, the CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy (CoLab) conducts and researches methods of bridging science and community voice to improve public health. She is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Foundation Champion for Change award and a 2019 Robert Wood Foundation Health Equity award for her work in juvenile justice system reform.    

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This is the first of a three-part webinar series related to forensic mental health. This presentation provides an overview of forensic mental health services and introduces participants to the University of Washington’s Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law. The Center has three primary arms: education and training; research and policy; and service. The three Center arms are discussed in this presentation with particular emphasis on training and education in forensic mental health. Subsequent lectures in the webinar series illustrate work relevant to other arms of the Center. Learning Objectives Participants will become familiar with forensic mental health and unique roles of forensic mental health clinicians Participants will learn about the University of Washington Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL) Participants will gain appreciation for the role for increased training in forensic mental health Find out more about our forensic mental health webinar series here. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Download webinar slides   FACILITATOR Jennifer Piel, MD, JD   Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and the Director of the University’s Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law. She received the 2017 American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, in part, for her advocacy for persons with mental illness who have criminal justice involvement. She is the Legal Digest Editor for the Journal of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She specializes in psycho-legal assessment, research, and education.        

Description: This brief (the second in a series) offers a closer look at clinical and programmatic approaches responsive to the needs of justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness.

Description: This brief (the first in a series) emphasizes opportunities to divert individuals with serious mental illness at various points of contact with the criminal justice system and explores the complexities that contribute to the difficulties these individuals face.

Arizona has spent the past several decades developing a crisis system that is widely regarded as one of the most advanced in the nation. In this model, a robust continuum of services work together in concert to provide high-quality care in the least-restrictive setting that can safely meet the person’s needs while also ensuring fiscal sustainability and responsible stewardship of community resources. This webinar describes key features of the Arizona model including: overview of the crisis continuum; governance, financing, and accountability; examples of collaboration with law enforcement and other community partners; and strategies for using data to drive continuous system improvement.   Slides available for download here. References cited in this presentation are available here. About the Presenter Margie Balfour, MD, PhD A psychiatrist and national leader in quality improvement and behavioral health crisis services, Dr. Margie Balfour is the Chief of Quality and Clinical Innovation at Connections Health Solutions, which provides access to mental health and substance use care throughout Arizona, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona. Dr. Balfour was named the Doctor of the Year by the National Council for Behavioral Health for her work at the Crisis Response Center in Tucson. She was awarded the Tucson Police Department’s medal of honor for her efforts to help law enforcement better serve the mentally ill population. She serves on the board of directors of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists, The American Association for Emergency Psychiatry, and NAMI Southern Arizona. She earned her MD and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati, and completed her residency and fellowship in Public Psychiatry at the University of Texas.  

This two-page fact sheet provides an overview of the criminalization of SMI, trans-institutionalization, the relationship between mental illness and criminal justice involvement, and the sequential intercept model.

Executive Summary: Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Needs among Probation and Parole Officers This is an executive summary of the larger report: Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Needs: Findings, Implications, and Summary of a Survey of Probation and Parole Officers in Region 8.   The Mountain Plains Mental Health and Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) team, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and state probation and parole offices, conducted an electronic survey in November and December 2019. The survey was distributed electronically to probation and parole officers in all six states located in the United States Department of Health & Human Services Region 8 in order to identify specific mental health training needs. Results will assist the Mountain Plains MHTTC staff to better serve correctional officers and stakeholders throughout the region. Additionally, the survey results will inform the development of new products, training materials, and technical assistance requests. This work includes expanding collaborations with entities serving probation and parole staff to address the training needs described. Authors Shawnda Schroeder Thomasine Heitkamp Desirae Martinefski

Criminal Justice Mental Health Resources Justice-involved individuals diagnosed with mental illness are often incarcerated instead of accessing community-based mental healthcare. As a result, they are overrepresented in jails and prisons throughout the U.S. A high prevalence of mental illness and substance use exist among jail inmates, and they reenter society without the necessary supports following incarceration. This occurs for a myriad of reasons, including the lack of community services to better ensure successful reintegration, and the lack of support to meet basic needs for food, housing, and transportation. The outcome is additional arrests and incarcerations. The Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) team is dedicated to addressing mental health among those who are involved with the criminal justice system. In response, the team conducted a needs assessment of training and technical assistance in December 2019 among probation and parole officers in Region 8. In response to the findings of that survey, the Mountain Plains MHTTC team has begun identifying existing resources and technical assistance available to those working with justice-involved individuals. Criminal Justice Mental Health Resources The Criminal Justice resources page houses dozens of reputable resources and evidenced-based models for those working with justice-involved individuals. If you have questions about this website or products you thing would be valuable on this page, please contact Shawnda Schroeder at [email protected]. 

Findings, Implications, and Summary of a Survey of Probation and Parole Officers in Region 8 The Mountain Plains Mental Health and Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) team, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and state probation and parole offices, conducted an electronic survey in November and December 2019. The survey was distributed electronically to probation and parole officers in all six states located in the United States Department of Health & Human Services Region 8 in order to identify specific mental health training needs. Results will assist the Mountain Plains MHTTC staff to better serve correctional officers and stakeholders throughout the region. Additionally, the survey results will inform the development of new products, training materials, and technical assistance requests. This work includes expanding collaborations with entities serving probation and parole staff to address the training needs described.   Full Report   The full report includes an overall assessment, a presentation of training needs among rural and urban probation and parole officers, varied training needs between probation and parole, and state specific reports.   One-Page State Summaries Colorado Probation and Parole: Mental Health Training Needs Montana Probation and Parole: Mental Health Training Needs North Dakota Probation and Parole: Mental Health Training Needs South Dakota Probation and Parole: Mental Health Training Needs Utah Probation and Parole: Mental Health Training Needs Wyoming Probation and Parole: Mental Health Training Needs Authors Shawnda Schroeder Thomasine Heitkamp Desirae Martinefski Additional Resources Addressing Mental Health for Justice-Involved Individuals A host of resources currently exist to serve the mental health training and technical assistance needs of both probation and parole staff, as well as other professionals who work with justice-involved individuals.   Resources Funded or Provided under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funds and supports over a dozen programs and initiatives that can assist those who work with justice-involved individuals who also have a mental health and/or substance use disorder. These resources, toolkits, trainings, and webpages promote early intervention and treatment as healthier alternatives to detainment, help identify treatment resources, locate housing assistance, and address integrated care, among other topics.   Additional Resources Not Funded by SAMHSA Several organizations, associations, and governmental agencies have begun to address the mental health and substance use disorder needs among individuals involved in the criminal justice system. These resources include technical assistance manuals, diversion interventions, best practices, data reports, and a list of resources that provide a wealth of information about state, federal, and organizational resources for probation and parole officials.

This is the fourth installment of our regional newsletter. This issue's focus is on mental health and the criminal justice system.

Learn how one Wisconsin school district partners with the county restorative justice program to to engage with youth caught vaping on school grounds. Featured presenters: Tim Wavrunek, Eau Claire County Restorative Justice Program, and Kim Koller, Director of Administrative Services, Eau Claire School District.

Michael Compton, MD, and Amy Watson, PhD, present jointly on potential solutions to the problem of criminalization of serious mental illnesses. They provide an overview of several models including Crisis Intervention Team, Mobile Crisis Teams, Specialized EMS, and the Police-Mental Health Linkage System.

Michael Compton, MD, and Amy Watson, PhD, present jointly on the problem of criminalization of serious mental illnesses. They provide an overview of the criminal justice process, criminal justice involvement among those with serious mental illness, and de-institutionalization.