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                            Topics
 Mental Health Description
              Our nation is facing a mental health crisis. According to SAMHSA’s recent data, approximately one in four adults 18 and over, and one in three adults aged 18-25, reported having a mental illness in the past year. One in five adolescents had a major depressive episode. The prevalence of mental health needs is even greater when we look at data for individuals involved with the justice system. For example, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, prisoners and jail inmates have been found to be three to five times as likely to meet the threshold for serious psychological distress as adults in the general U.S. population.

The Office of Justice Programs serves as a critical source of funding, training and technical assistance, and research to accelerate reform in our nation’s justice system. It supports prevention and intervention efforts to improve responses to and outcomes for individuals with mental health needs at every point along the justice continuum.

  Find Help
        
          **Need help now?**
Use the following hotlines and resources to get and find help. Call 911 or go to an emergency department if you are having an emergency or facing a life-threatening event.

**988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline**
			If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text **988** or chat **988lifeline.org**The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families needing support for mental health and/or substance use disorders. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. For more information on substance use and mental health concerns, types and locations of treatment, and other resources, visit findtreatment.gov**FindSupport.gov**
			This website****addresses common questions about searching for support for mental health and substance use needs. The site provides helpful hints on what questions to ask, how to search for a healthcare professional or other support services, how to set up an appointment, and information on how to find services based on insurance coverage.
    
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      Victims of CrimeJustGrants
        
          Learn about JustGrants, DOJ’s grants management system.

  Featured Resources

  Resources for Law Enforcement, Other Justice Professionals, and Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Who Come In Contact with the Justice System
  
  Review the YouTube Terms of Service and the Google Privacy PolicyPolice Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit
              
      
            The PMHC Toolkit provides resources for law enforcement agencies to partner with service providers, advocates, and individuals with mental health needs and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to respond effectively, ensure safety, and improve access to services and outcomes for individuals with mental health needs and I/DD.
      
      
            View the toolkit
    
          Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) Toolkit
              
      
            The Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) is designed to prepare and improve police officer responses during encounters with individuals experiencing crises related to mental health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
      
      
            View the toolkit

  
  Propelling Change: A Prosecutor Call to Action
              
      
            Propelling Change is a national call to action for prosecutors that aims to break the cycle of arrest and incarceration for individuals with behavioral health needs by committing to support equitable diversion efforts and work with partners to foster connections to community-based care for improved outcomes.
      
      
            Go to site
    
          Vicarious Trauma Toolkit
              
      
            This Toolkit introduces a model for examining and conceptualizing the effects of vicarious trauma to the work-related exposure that victim services providers, first responders, and allied professionals experience in their daily work, and provides organizations with tools to support staff in becoming more trauma-informed.
      
      
            View the toolkit

  Resources for Youth and Youth-Serving Organizations
  
  OJJDP Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
              
      
            The Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JJMHCP) supports collaborative public safety efforts through partnerships with juvenile justice, mental health and substance use agencies to improve responses and outcomes for youth with mental health or co-occurring substance use conditions who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.
      
      
            View the program
    
          OJJDP’s National Mentoring Resource Center
              
      
            The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's National Mentoring Resource Center serves as a comprehensive resource for mentoring tools, program and training materials, and no-cost training and technical assistance to provide youth mentoring practitioners with support to incorporate evidence-based practices to improve positive outcomes for youth.
      
      
            View the resource

  
  
  

  **Resources for Victims and Survivors of Crime**


  
    


              
  


  
Help for Victims
              
      
            If you are a victim of a crime, you have many rights and services available to help you.
      
      
            Learn more



          


              
  


  
Victim Assistance and Compensation
              
      
            All states receive Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds from the Office for Victims of Crime to help support crime victim assistance and compensation programs. Victims of crime may be eligible through these funds for crime victim compensation benefits, including reimbursement for mental health counseling, medical services, lost wages, and other costs incurred due to the crime.
      
      
            Learn more


  
    


                    
  


  
Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials
              
      
            For children and youth, participating in the justice system as a victim or witness can be especially confusing, distressing, and even re-traumatizing. These materials were created to support children and youth during their involvement with the justice system as a victim or witness to a crime.
      
      
            View the materials
  Funding Opportunities
        
          Explore OJP's funding opportunities to support law enforcement, court professionals, correctional facilities, behavioral health providers, community-based organizations, and other service providers in addressing the needs of individuals with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorder needs.

**Funding Opportunities Currently Available:**

FY2023 Research and Evaluation on Policing Practices, Accountability Mechanisms, and Alternatives**Grants.gov Deadline** – June 6, 2023, and **JustGrants Deadline** – June 20, 2023See Current Funding Opportunities to learn about available funding from the OJP program offices related to this and other topics.
				Access the OJP Award Data page for details about grants awarded by OJP.
				Sign up for Funding News for weekly funding announcements and tips.
  OJP Programs and Initiatives
        
          Following are some of the OJP programs that support mental health services:

Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP)
	Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
	Stepping Up Initiative
	VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Initiative
	National Suicide Awareness for Law Enforcement Officers Program (SAFLEO)
  Research, Data and Evaluation
        
          Emerging Relevance of Neuroscience in Corrections**Date Published:**March 2023
	Experiences of Victimization Among Latinos: Studies Confirm Significant Victim Mental Health Impact and Mistrust of Authorities**Date Published:**September 2022
	Interconnecting Mental Health and Behavioral Support Improves School Safety**Date Published:**March 2022
	Suicide in Local Jails and State and Federal Prisons, 2009-2019 – Statistical Tables**Date Published:**October 2021
	Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016: Indicators of Mental Health Problems Reported by Prisoners**Date Published:** October 2021
	Identifying Needs Related to Managing Seriously Mentally Ill Individuals in Corrections**Date Published:**July 2020
	Indicators of Mental Health Problems Reported by Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2011-2012**Date Published:** June 2017
  Publications and Other Resources
        
          Officer Health and Wellness Agency Assessment Tool and Action Planning Roadmap
	Bureau of Justice Assistance Mental Health Topical Resource Page
	Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention News in Brief
	Office for Victims of Crime Physical and Mental Health Topical Resource Page
	Resources and Support for Victims of Mass Violence
  Training and Technical Assistance
        
          Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Support Centers
	Strengthening connections among criminal justice agencies, behavioral health organizations, and the community to improve wellbeing of people with mental health conditions or co-occurring substance use disorders.
	Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Site Program
	This program serves as a peer-to-peer learning program for law enforcement agencies seeking to build collaborative models to improve responses to calls and outcomes for individuals with mental health needs.
	Mental Health Courts
	Mental health courts are specialized court dockets for certain defendants with mental illnesses that substitute a problem-solving model for traditional criminal court processing.
	Academic Training to Inform Police Responses
	A national initiative to enhance police engagement with people with behavioral health conditions and developmental disabilities.
	Vicarious Trauma
	Learn more about the impact of vicarious trauma on individuals and organizations, as well as resources designed to help you identify and address vicarious trauma proactively.
	Victim Assistance Training Online
	VAT Online is a foundational, Web-based victim assistance training program that offers victim service providers and allied professionals the opportunity to develop the essential skills and knowledge they need to assist victims of crime more effectively.
  Mental Health Videos
        
          Female police officer and African American male. Text reads 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988: A Shared Opportunity

On July 16, 2022, the U.S. transitioned from the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988—an easy-to-remember three-digit number for 24/7 crisis care. This transition to the new National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, created a unique opportunity to rethink how people are connected to compassionate, accessible care. Communities around the country are now determining how this new, national dialing code works alongside existing law enforcement and crisis responses.

For criminal justice stakeholders, the transition to 988 is an important opportunity to shift people in crisis toward appropriate care, and help redesign crisis responses that, when implemented effectively, minimize contact with law enforcement and the justice system.

Watch this video series that aims to shine light on the various ways communities are incorporating 988 into existing approaches to crisis response.
  Date Modified: May 25, 2023
        Date Created: May 2, 2023
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