Research

• September 2022

  Prevalence and correlates of incarceration following emergency medical services response to overdose

  Administrative records on 192,113 EMS incidents and 70,409 jail booking events occurring between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana were record-linked at the event level. Incarceration in county jail followed one in ten overdose-involved EMS responses. As illicit drug consumption increasingly involves stimulants, the frequency of incarceration following these events is likely to increase. Policy changes and interventions are needed to reduce incarceration after overdose emergencies.

  Harm reduction

  Publication
• September 2022

  Client attitudes toward virtual treatment court

  As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many treatment courts shifted to offering teleservices. Even though virtual experiences were more comfortable than in-person experiences for clients, the results are nuanced and show preference for some in-person connections as they transitioned to virtual connections. Future research should examine how to improve client connections with staff/group members during virtual court or treatment sessions, particularly as courts and treatment providers are likely to continue some services virtually into the future.

  Harm reduction

  Publication
• July 2022

  Dual public health crises: the overlap of drug overdose and firearm injury in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2018 - 2020

  Drug overdose and firearm injury co-spatially concentrate within census tracts. Moreover, drug overdoses are associated with future firearm injury. Interventions to reduce firearm injuries and drug overdoses should be a co-response in high drug overdose-high firearm injury communities.

  Harm reduction

  Publication
• July 2022

  Summer 2022 Newsletter

  This special edition newsletter is focused on assisted outpatient treatment (AOT), and the release of the AOT toolkit. In partnership with Michigan's Mental Health Diversion Council, the CBHJ has launched an AOT Toolkit designed to provide resources needed for effective AOT programs. Many individuals living with serious mental illness do not adhere to treatment recommendations, increasing their risk for high utilization of ERs, frequent contact with law enforcement, and more. AOT is a legal mechanism for providing outpatient treatment to individuals living with severe mental illness whose non-adherence places them at risk for negative outcomes.

  Diversion

  Reentry

  Treatment ecosystems

  Youth justice

  Wayne County jail/mental health initiative

  Newsletter
• May 2022

  Formalizing advisory boards to facilitate criminal legal system change

  Facilitating meaningful, long-lasting change at the intersection of the behavioral health and criminal legal systems is a community-wide effort that requires dedicated leaders with a clear, shared vision. Many communities have multiple groups working toward similar goals, often overlapping efforts and expending scarce resources. Creating a formal advisory board provides a framework to engage, develop, and sustain effective change across systems, bridging communication between siloed groups. Bringing leaders together through a formal advisory board is a practical approach to improving the experiences of individuals with behavioral health concerns who encounter the criminal legal system.

  Diversion

  Wayne County jail/mental health initiative

  Policy brief
• April 2022

  County Jails' Responses to COVID-19: Practices, Procedures, and Provisions of Behavioral Health Services

  This exploratory, mixed-methods study describes 20 county jails' responses to the pandemic across Michigan and presents a case study of one rural jail to examine changes in booking trends and behavioral health needs and services. Qualitatively, jails decreased their population at the outset of the pandemic via early releases, reconsideration of bond, and reductions in arrests. Quantitatively, the greatest prevalence of serious mental illness was found during the spring (initial shutdown period), which had the lowest weekly booking rates. Bookings occurring during the spring were significantly related to felony charges and drug/alcohol charges while individuals were less frequently booked because of violations. Past year recidivism significantly decreased from the winter to summer phase. Policy should mandate that jails screen for behavioral health problems and provide access to behavioral health services, while also expanding diversion opportunities during and after a pandemic. Innovations in continuity of care are critical for both behavioral and public health needs given the high risk for suicide, overdose, and viral spread after release from jail.

  Diversion

  Publication
• March 2022

  Medications for opioid use disorder in county jails: Support and resources for Sheriff's Offices considering implementation

  Evidence suggests that medications for opioid use disorder and corresponding psychosocial services are the gold standard of treatment for opioid use disorder and are highly effective at reducing overdose risk and recidivism and promoting long-term and sustainable recovery. County jails serve as a pivotal touchpoint where behavioral health partners can intervene with people who have an OUD by providing access to these medications and services. This resource sheet is intended for local sheriff's offices that want to learn more about best practices for the treatment of OUD and are seeking guidance on how to implement these services in their county jail.

  Treatment ecosystems

  Resource
• March 2022

  Supportive Courts: Integrating and Destigmatizing Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

  Medication assisted treatment has been a polarizing effort that, despite its proven efficacy, has caused concern amongst drug courts and jail systems alike. As criminal justice leaders, it is imperative to use evidence-based practices that have reliable results in a rehabilitative setting, which can be mutually beneficial to the courts as and individuals. This training provides information on how treatment courts can support local opioid use disorder treatment efforts, address stigma surrounding medication assisted treatment, provide evidence of treatment effectiveness for justice-involved populations, and encourage coordination with community and jail-based treatment programs to improve clinical and legal outcomes. Speakers included the Honorable Shannon A. Holmes and Probation Director Wright N. Wade from the 36th District Court in Detroit, Michigan.

  Treatment ecosystems

  Video
• March 2022

  Data Integration in Michigan Counties Lunch and Learn

  One component of the technical assistance the CBHJ provides focuses on the utilization of cross-systems community data to track progress on an on-going basis - a process referred to as data integration. County data integration systems bring together information from multiple sources, including community behavioral health and criminal legal, to generate regular reports that provide stakeholders with updates on key measures that define progress such as prevalence of mental illness in jails.

  Diversion

  Video
• February 2022

  Administrative jail release during COVID-19

  Since 1991, administrative jail release (AJR) has been regularly utilized to address jail overcrowding by accelerating the release process for some individuals in the Wayne County Jail. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, criteria for AJR was expanded in order to decrease transmission in the jail facilities and to prioritize individuals with serious medical conditions that would be more vulnerable to contracting the virus. A committee of stakeholders including judges, prosecutors, attorneys representing detainees at large1, and jail medical staff was formed at the start of pandemic to review releases.

  Wayne County jail/mental health initiative

  Policy brief