Dear Association Executives - As we discussed last week, on Monday, November 16, the U.S. Senate passed the
Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act, a bill designed to promote partnership between our nation's mental health treatment and justice systems.
A significant number of justice-involved individuals experience mental health and substance use challenges. From 2006 to 2016, suicide was the leading single cause of death in local jails each year, and action is needed to reverse these statistics. Additionally, our country faces an unprecedented mental health and substance use crisis as a result of COVID-19, and access to medically necessary treatment for justice-involved individuals is often not prioritized or considered.
The Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act would:
- Fund clinical stabilization of inmates during incarceration…including suicide prevention, medication adherence and continuity of mental health care and;
- Fund cooperative programs between penal institutions and community-based mental health and addiction treatment providers upon release from incarceration including hotlines, mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization and triage centers, etc.
Michael Petruzzelli
Director, Federal Policy and Advocacy
National Council for Behavioral Health
Direct: (202) 774-1660
Email: MichaelP@TheNationalCouncil.org
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Neal Comstock
Director of Membership
National Council
NealC@TheNationalCouncil.org202 748-8793
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