Olmstead Communities of Practice
Ongoing
NRI is hosting a series of technical assistance webinars for SAMHSA's Olmstead Communities of Practice. The NRI TA webinar series will focus on the intersection of the Criminal Justice System and Olmstead. The goal of the project is to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to learn, strategize, and share opportunities and challenges related to improving community integration for individuals with mental illnesses. The presentations that have occurred have focused on:
ADA and Olmstead Principles to Divert People with Mental Illness from the Criminal Justice System
This first webinar discussed how the Olmstead mandate is relevant to individuals involved in both the mental health and criminal justice systems. A state-specific example is provided to demonstrate how the Olmstead mandate impacted at 2011 Settlement Agreement between Delaware and the DOJ.
This second webinar focused on a unique criminal-justice involved population: individuals with co-occurring intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental health disorders. The presentation explored the unique challenges this population faces and provided information about a community-based program in Massachusetts developed to support it.
Criminal Justice Olmstead Learning Community: Forensic Peer Specialists
This third webinar focused on the use of peer specialists in forensic settings. The importance of utilizing forensic peer specialists and the process for establishing a forensic peer specialist certification program were discussed.
Criminal Justice Olmstead Learning Community: Criminal Justice Diversion Methods for Rural Areas
This fourth webinar focused on jail diversion initiatives in rural Olmsted County, Minnesota. Programs and methods aligned with the Sequential Intercept Model that the county is currently using to divert individuals from the Criminal Justice System to appropriate behavioral health treatment were discussed.
Criminal Justice Olmstead Learning Community: Florida’s Criminal Mental Health Division
The final webinar featured Florida’s Criminal Mental Health Division. The speaker discussed how the program was developed, as well as its impact on participants and the system over the years.