Title
a. Receive a presentation on the Stepping Up Initiative adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 30, 2019, per Resolution No. 19-124, to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in our county jail; and
b. Provide direction as appropriate.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a presentation on the Stepping Up Initiative adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 30, 2019, per Resolution No. 19-124, to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in our county jail; and
b. Provide direction as appropriate.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Stepping Up Initiative is a national effort launched in May 2015 by the National Association of Counties (NACo), the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF). Its goal is to reduce the number of people with mental health and substance use disorders in jails by helping counties develop data-driven, locally tailored strategies to address the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system. In particular, Stepping Up calls for efforts to achieve four broad goals for the target population:
1) reduce jail bookings;
2) reduce the average length of stay in jail;
3) increase connections to care and treatment; and
4) reduce recidivism.
In April 2019, the Board adopted a resolution proposed by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) to become a Stepping Up county. Monterey County Behavioral Health (MCBH) subsequently contracted with The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center to work with stakeholders in the county to map current policies, processes, and resources for people with behavioral health needs who enter the criminal justice system. This effort was co-led by MCBH, MCSO, and the Monterey County Probation Department (Probation). The Stepping Up Monterey County System Mapping project kicked off in February 2020 however was temporarily delayed due to the Covid pa...
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