Improving Outcomes for Justice Involved Youth with Behavioral Health Challenges: A Cross Systems Approach

The Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JJMHCP) supports cross-system collaboration to improve responses and outcomes for youth with mental illness (MI) or co-occurring MI and substance abuse (CMISA) who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. This program supports public safety efforts through partnerships with juvenile justice, mental health and substance abuse agencies to enhance responses to justice-involved youth with MI and CMISA. The Monroe County Office of Probation-Community Corrections will lead this project in partnership with the Monroe County Office of Mental Health to form the Creating Alternative Pathways for Success (CAPS) program. CAPS envisions specialized probation officers working in collaboration with the juvenile justice and mental health coordinators to identify and streamline case management and services to youth involved in the juvenile justice system with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse (MI/CMISA) to provide targeted assessment, treatment, and follow-up. The target population will include both diversion and adjudicated youth as well as those placed in juvenile detention who are involved with probation. CA/NCF