September 2023 News Roundup

Every month, we’re bringing you the top news in addiction treatment and justice services from publications around the country.

Addiction Treatment | Justice Services

Addiction Treatment

Headline
Biden-Harris administration awards more than $64 million in grants to fund mental health services

What
The Biden-Harris administration has granted funding for mental health services and awareness training programs across the United States and its territories. These grants aim to bolster mental health support and education initiatives, addressing the growing need for mental health services. The funding seeks to enhance mental health resources and promote awareness, benefiting individuals and communities nationwide.

How the funds are distributed
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funding will help address the mental health crisis as part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda. See how Mental Health Block Grant BSCA Allotments are distributed by state/territory.

Read more | Watch past grant webinars | Download the grant toolkit

Headline
Behavioral Health Equity Challenge winners

What
Celebrate the winners of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE) Equity Challenge. This challenge recognized and awarded individuals and organizations for their efforts to promote health equity in the behavioral health field. The winners were acknowledged for their innovative strategies and dedication in advancing equity within mental health and substance abuse services.

The winners

Read more

Headline
The Principles quick guide to creating a settlement council

What
The article discusses the "Principles of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Opioid Solutions Council," a set of guidelines aimed at addressing the opioid crisis in the United States. These principles emphasize the importance of collaboration between local governments and stakeholders, data-driven strategies, and a holistic approach to tackling opioid addiction, including prevention, treatment and recovery services. The NACo Opioid Solutions Council seeks to provide a framework for counties to effectively combat the opioid epidemic and support individuals and communities affected by it.

Explore the five principles:
- Spend the money to save lives
- Use evidence to guide spending
- Invest in youth prevention
- Focus on racial equity
- Develop a fair and transparent process for deciding where to spend the funding

Read more | Learn how we can support you with opioid abatement

Justice Services

Headline
Addressing rising trauma rates in the criminal justice system: The role of community supervision and trauma-informed interventions

What
The article explores the increasing rates of trauma within the criminal justice system and highlights the critical role that community supervision and trauma-informed interventions can play in addressing this issue. It emphasizes the need for probation and parole officers to be trained in trauma-informed care to better support individuals with trauma histories who are under supervision. The article underscores that incorporating trauma-informed approaches can lead to more effective rehabilitation and reduced recidivism rates among justice-involved individuals.

Developing resilience skills
As prison populations decline and community supervision populations rise, there is an increasing need for developing resilience strategies with high-risk offenders. Community corrections officers, family members and friends can play a key role by helping justice-involved individuals develop the necessary skills to be successful upon reentry.

Read more | Explore our end-to-end probation and parole solution

Headline
Adopting a gender-responsive approach for women in the justice system: A resource guide

What
The article discusses the importance of adopting a gender-responsive approach for women in the justice system and provides a resource guide with practical insights and recommendations for policymakers, practitioners and advocates to create more effective and equitable responses for women in the justice system.

Connecting to Women’s Risk-Need-Assessment
The Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) represents the only suite of peer-reviewed risk/need instruments designed by and for system-impacted women. The WRNA helps staff, and the women they supervise, by identifying clients’ criminogenic needs while better understanding their strengths. The instrument facilitates case planning to appropriate gender-responsive programs that address women’s specific needs, which is crucial to reducing women’s recidivism and improving the lives of women and their families. The Change Companies’ WRNA collection includes gender-responsive curriculum interventions that directly align with the WRNA domains. Endorsed by Dr. Emily Salisbury, one of the WRNA’s original creators, this collection can help professionals collaboratively develop comprehensive, individualized service plans that effectively address the unique needs of the women they serve.

Read more

Headline
Seeking shelter from mass incarceration: Fighting criminalization with Housing First 

What
The article discusses the "Housing First" approach, which is gaining momentum as an effective strategy to address homelessness among justice-involved individuals. It highlights the importance of providing stable housing as a first step toward rehabilitation and reintegration for those exiting the criminal justice system. The article advocates for policy changes that prioritize housing as a key component of reentry efforts to reduce recidivism and improve overall outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Measuring the impact
Several states have shown powerful results when using a housing-first approach. Explore their impact in the table below:

Read more