Stay up to date on the latest news and legislative alerts in mental health law: Email   ZIP For RSS readers

Online Handbook Addresses Criminalization of People with Mental Illnesses

January 12, 2006—A new online resource is available for mental health organizations and advocates who want to improve the response to people with mental illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice/Mental Health Advocacy Handbook is a how-to guide that walks users through a well-organized series of five steps with concise pages, documented with examples from various states and localities.

The first step explains how and why people with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and summarizes the keys to improving outcomes for them. A second section asks and answers common questions to counter misunderstandings about such matters as violence by people with mental illnesses and lack of resources for appropriate alternative programs. Subsequent web pages describe the audience for effective advocacy and explain, among other things, how to engage the media, form a coalition, conduct a campaign and build advocacy alliances. A final section has lists of and links to advocacy resources and potential funding sources.

Users can create a printed handbook by downloading a PDF version of each of the five steps.

The Advocacy Handbook is hosted by the Consensus Project of the Council of State Governments. It is the product of that entity’s effort with NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.