FMHI to House Florida’s First Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center

The Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center will provide a number of resources and information related to: Grant applications and strategic planning Recovery and resiliency Inclusion of consumers and families Use of evidence-based and best practices (I.e. Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Forensic Intensive Case Management, Supportive Housing, Employment, Jail Diversion/Discharge Planning – re-entry practices, Trauma-specific services, Co-occurring disorders) Dissemination of effective practices and models (I.e., SAMHSA Jail Diversion and Bureau of Justice Assistance Models, GAINS Center resources, SAMHSA Tool kits) Data analyses (FMHI data center) and data sharing (HIPAA barriers and solutions) State policy and community coordination Partnerships & facilitation Access to other state, national consultants and CJMHSA experts

Under new legislation signed by Governor Charlie Crist, the USF Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) will house Florida’s first ever clearinghouse of information and resources related to criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health and substance abuse. $120,000 a year for a minimum of three years will be allocated to FMHI to operate the Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center.

The Center is part of a 2007 legislative bill (SB 542, HB 1477) that authorized the Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Reinvestment Grant Program. The bill allocates matching grants to communities for programs that divert adults and juveniles with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse problems from the criminal justice system into community-based treatment services and/or supports their successful integration within the community.

“ The importance of this new legislation is that it allows communities to establish programs that will address their individual needs, and ultimately reduce the burden on Florida’s criminal justice system,” said John Petrila, who will serve as PI for the Center project. “There are few behavioral health issues more pressing nationally than the impact of mental disability on the criminal justice system. This legislation is an imaginative way to permit Florida communities to begin addressing those issues.”

Petrila, along with Mark Engelhardt from FMHI’s Department of Mental Health Law and Policy and additional center staff will work closely with state partners and community councils as they apply for one-year planning grants or three-year implementation or expansion grants. The Center will provide a number of resources and information related to evidence-based practices and best practices among grantees.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Corporation, a non-profit corporation created by the Legislature to oversee the state’s publicly funded substance abuse and mental health services, will administer the program, which will receive $4 million annually. The Technical Assistance Center will work with SAMH to provide an annual report on certain specified issues on January 1 of each year, beginning January 1, 2009.

“The passing of the bill is due in large part to efforts of the statewide advocacy organization Florida Partners in Crisis,” said Mark Engelhardt.. “They are a diverse group of stakeholders, including judges, law enforcement officials, service providers, individuals in recovery and their families who are committed to promoting access, funding, education, and advocacy for services in the State of Florida.”

“We are proud to be a part of this important task and look forward to working with the many state and local partners,” added Petrila. “This project is a great example of USF’s strategic goal of meeting community needs. The Center will allow work vital to the university’s role in the creation of new knowledge, while also creating healthier communities throughout the state.”

For additional information, contact John Petrila at petrila@fmhi.usf.edu or 813-974-930, or Mark Engelhardt at mengelhardt@fmhi.usf.edu, 813-974-0769.

Both Petrila (left) and Engelhardt (right) have recently been asked to serve on the Supreme Court of Florida Mental Health Subcommittee/Policy, Legislative, and Finance Workgroup, responsible for reviewing and making recommendations regarding emerging trends and innovations in the delivery and financing of public mental health and behavioral health care services. Petrila serves as Co-chair of the Supreme Court Subcommittee. The workgroup examines issues relating to access to care and disparities across populations, cost effectiveness of service delivery, financing through Medicaid and other funding sources, organization of the service delivery system to ensure that individuals do not become inappropriately involved in the criminal justice system, system level enhancements to support patient- and family-centered care, and reductions in fragmentation of care. Petrila and Engelhardt were invited to participate in the workgroup by Miami-Dade County Court Associate Administrative Judge Steve Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice and Mental Health, Supreme Court of Florida. Leifman is responsible for creating a highly successful diversion program providing Crisis Intervention Team training for law enforcement agencies in Miami-Dade County. The program has substantially reduced recidivism and saved the county and state critical funds. Due to his expertise in this area, Judge Leifman has been appointed to several local, state and national mental health initiatives.