Since the month of May was established as Mental Health Month in 1949, advocates across the country have led its observance and spread the word that mental health is something that impacts all social systems. Courts are in a unique position to move beyond advocacy by bringing communities together to communicate, collaborate, and improve justice system and community responses that improve public health and safety issues that often emanate from undertreated or untreated mental health disorders.
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Evaluating and reforming competency to stand trial processes and procedures has emerged as a prominent national discussion, prompting the State Justice Institute to work alongside and support the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators CCJ-COSCA National Task Force to Examine the State Court response to Mental Illness to develop several resources designed to assist state courts in assessing potential opportunities for system improvements.
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The Illinois Problem-Solving Courts (PSCs) continue to expand through the state of Illinois in 2023. In 2023, all existing PSCs in Illinois obtained certification through the Illinois Supreme Court. In all, 117 PSCs have been certified, with more emerging courts submitting applications for initial certification.
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For those court and justice partners unfamiliar with the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM), or in need of a brief refresher, the SIM was originally developed over several years in the early 2000s by Policy Research Associates, in conjunction with the SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice.
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As Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the State of Illinois, I am deeply heartened by the restorative justice model being implemented across the state. Both Deputy Governor Sol Flores and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton are champions for intervening early to prevent people from unnecessarily becoming involved with the criminal justice system.
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