CCJBH 2021 Project Updates
SB 369
CCJBH is collaborating with the California Department of Corrections (CDCR’s) Transition Team, which includes the CDCR Division of Adult Parole Operations & Division of Rehabilitative Programs, and California Correctional Health Care Services’ Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment team, to respond to the Governor’s Senate Bill 369 veto message, which requires CCJBH and CDCR to collaborate with stakeholders to identify barriers to reentry and strategies to overcome those barriers.
The Transition Team and CCJBH are performing preliminary research and plan to present this information for stakeholder review and input at CCJBH’s upcoming Diversion/Reentry Workgroup meeting on March 19th, at the Forensic Mental Health Association Conference as part of the Words to Deeds Track on April 1st and then again at CCJBH’s Full Council meeting on April 30th.
After each stakeholder meeting, participants will be invited to provide written comments for consideration in the final report. Once the report is complete, CJBH will continue to support the Transition Team in developing an Action Plan to address the identified barriers so that individuals may receive the necessary resources as they leave prison to transition back into their communities.
Council on State Governments Justice Center’s Report on Reducing Homelessness for People with Behavioral Health Needs Leaving Prison and Jails
In January 2020, CCJBH released a policy brief providing several strategies on “Improving Housing Outcomes for the Justice-Involved with Behavioral Health Challenges.” As a result of this policy brief, and in response to Governor Newsom’s call to action on homelessness a year ago, CCJBH partnered with the Council on State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, supported with funding from the Melville Charitable Trust, to identify strategies to improve housing outcomes for people with behavioral health needs who are exiting the criminal justice system.
Released in March 2021, CSG’s final report, “Reducing Homelessness for People with Behavioral Health Needs Leaving Prison and Jails,” identifies 5 key challenges that lead to unmet housing and behavioral health needs and
10 specific recommendations to address these challenges, particularly with the goal of providing permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing since research has shown that these are the most effective evidence-based models that have been established to date. Accordingly, CSG asserts that, unless actions such as these are taken, “people will continue to cycle between incarceration and homelessness with unmet behavioral health needs.”
Governor’s Proposed State Budget Snapshot:
Fiscal Year 2020-21
The annual budget snapshot document for the Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget is available on the CCJBH website. This summary was shared at the January 29, 2021, CCJBH Full Council Meeting and contains excerpts from the Governor’s budget on all of the proposals that relate to individuals with behavioral health needs who are in the criminal justice system.
2021 CCJBH Meeting Dates
CCJBH Council Meetings
The Council is tasked with several statutory goals including:
- investigating, identifying, and promoting cost-effective strategies that prevent adults and juveniles with behavioral health needs from becoming incarcerated;
- identifying incentives for state and local justice and health programs to adopt such approaches;
- reporting activities to the Legislature; and
- providing recommendations for improving the cost-effectiveness of existing behavioral health and criminal justice programs.
Email us to join our mailing list to stay on top of current CCJBH projects and to receive reminders on and registration for upcoming Council meetings and events!
The Council meetings for Calendar Year 2021 are listed below:
FULL COUNCIL MEETINGS
| April 30 (Friday) | 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM |
| July 30 (Friday) | 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM |
| October 29 (Friday) | 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM |
| December 10 (Friday) | Time TBD |
JUVENILE JUSTICE WORKGROUP
| March 12 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| June 11 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| September 10 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| November 12 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
DIVERSION/REENTRY WORKGROUP
| March 19 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| June 18 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| September 17 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| November 19 (Friday) | 1:00 PM -3:00 PM |
Legislative Update
CCJBH tracks legislation of interest to our mission to promote early intervention, access to effective treatments, a planned re-entry and the preservation of public safety. For a complete list of the legislation tracked by CCJBH this year, please visit our legislative webpage.
Announcements, Resources, Articles and Studies
Relaunch of the Department of Health Care Services’
CalAIM Initiative
California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is a multi-year initiative by the DHCS to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of the Medi-Cal population by implementing broad delivery system, program and payment reform across the Medi-Cal program. DHCS initially released the CalAIM initiative on October 29, 2019, and conducted extensive stakeholder engagement between November 2019 and February 2020 on the various CalAIM proposals. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, DHCS postponed the planned implementation of the CalAIM initiative for one year, and recently released a revised CalAIM proposal on January 8, 2021.
Note: To learn more about how CalAIM will impact the justice-involved populations, California Health Policy Strategies has recently released a policy brief, entitled “California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal: Opportunities and Implications for the Reentry & Justice-Involved Population.”
Trends in California Drug Overdose Deaths
A report recently released by the California Health Policy Strategies reveals alarming data on overdose deaths in California, particularly a sharp increase in deaths due to fentanyl. To read the report, please click here.
In the News
On February 26, 2021, the LA Times featured an op-ed regarding treatment for individuals who are designated as felony Incompetent to Stand Trial, entitled “Treating mentally ill accused felons will save money and prevent new crimes.” To read the article, please click here.
Upcoming Webinars
46th ANNUAL FMHAC VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
The 46th Annual Forensic Mental Health Association of California Conference, which includes a Words to Deeds track, offers high quality presentations pertaining to forensic mental health and relevant to medical and mental health clinicians, law enforcement, the courts, parole and probation officers, and other professionals working with mentally ill offenders. This year’s VIRTUAL Conference will be delivered over multiple weeks. The LIVE conference will kick off on March 31, 2021, through April 2, 2021. The ON-DEMAND recordings will be delivered for an additional 60 days, lasting through June 2, 2021, allowing you to “drop in” virtually over multiple weeks while continuing to stay safe.
Follow the link here to register.
CCJBH Job Opportunities
Come Work With Us!
Are you interested in working in a fast-paced, social justice driven organization?
CCHBH is looking for a Graduate Student Assistant
Please follow the link here to apply.
Final Filing Date: 3/14/21
Our mailing address is:
ccjbh@cdcr.ca.gov