County Mental Health Law Plan

Eight counties participated in the County Mental Health Law Plan (CMHLP) program throughout 2024. A liaison from each county, most often a judge, created a multidisciplinary team that engaged in the Pilot Program. Participants attended four Zoom webinars about the topics: Civil Commitment, Early Intervention, Mental Health Courts, and Competency Restoration. After the webinars were complete, the JCMH team traveled to the eight counties for a workshop on mental health law tailored to the gaps and opportunities in each county. 

Each county also reviewed the JCMH Mental Health Law Checklist and then completed a template reflecting the county’s current and future plans related to the relevant mental health law issues according to the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM).

After the workshop, the JCMH compiled a report for each county, which created a guideline for how the county moves through different processes when a person with a mental illness comes into contact with the justice system. By participating in this program, counties identified gaps and resources, clarified roles within the county, streamlined complex MH processes, received access to free resources, identified mental health best practices, and created accountability.