Announcing the Texas County Mental Health Law Plan Program!

In Texas, the laws relating to persons with mental illness or intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) are complex and span several different codes affecting multiple, diverse stakeholders. These mental health laws set out a statutory framework to divert people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment when appropriate and include court-ordered mental health services, law enforcement procedures, early identification of people with mental illness or IDD, specialty courts, competency restoration, and information sharing. Because these laws are complicated and require coordination, counties can benefit from judicial leaders convening a multidisciplinary team to create a Texas County Mental Health Law Plan.

The Texas County Mental Health Law Plan will provide counties with:

•       Mental Health Law Plan Checklists;

•       Mental Health Law Plan Templates;

•       Hands-On technical assistance from JCMH;

•       Step-by-step instruction on coming into compliance with Texas mental health law; and

•       Connection to other resources.

The intended output is to encourage collaboration, efficiency, cost savings, and accountability to county mental health law systems, thereby leading to fewer people with mental illness or IDD in the criminal justice system when diversion is possible and appropriate.

Applications are now open and must be received by October 31, 2023. More information can be found here.