justice system including criminal drug mental health court-involved

This week, the Mental Health Commission of Canada launched a directory of community-based mental health and substance use services and supports available in Canada for people who are transitioning from the criminal justice system into the community. This national inventory represents a new step towards reducing the barriers to service access that are often experienced by justice-involved persons, especially those who are re-entering the community from correctional settings. Importantly, this inventory will be updated over time to ensure its currency and breadth.

Mentally Disabled Do Not Have Fair Access to Justice

At the time of the imminent opening of HSJCC’s Community Justice Conference 2021, I appreciate CMHA branches and John Howard Society branches as two of the main organizations that assist people with mental health issues in the criminal justices system. Yet, many mentally disabled with barriers to access justice are not assisted because the system they access is not the Criminal one.

An example of a concurrent disorder is a condition where a person experiences both mental illness and a substance abuse disorder. The Peterborough Community Support Court is a justice and treatment partnership which adopts strategies aimed at reducing crime and enhancing individual and community well being by promoting and facilitating the holistic rehabilitation of criminal defendants experiencing both a mental illness and a substance abuse disorder. Experienced practitioners will explain the mechanics, challenges and successes of this approach.

Speakers:

This webinar is hosted by the  Association of Justice and Treatment Professionals (AJTP) and the International Association of Treatment Court Professionals (IATCP).

Drug Treatment Courts are justice treatment partnerships which aim to address the revolving door pattern of criminal behavior due to drug addiction. Experienced practitioners explain the rationale, optimal operational practices and outcomes of Drug Treatment Courts.

Presenters:

This webinar is hosted by the  Association of Justice and Treatment Professionals (AJTP) and the International Association of Treatment Court Professionals (IATCP).

A courageous story of drug addiction and recovery before, during and after participation in a Drug Treatment Court program.

This is a story told by Paulette Walker, a person with lived experience. A story about addiction, sobriety, hope and the resilience of the human spirit. The perils of addiction. The hope of sobriety. How one courageous individual engaged in drug addiction treatment, how she has maintained her sobriety and how she has worked in a drug treatment court to help others engage in treatment towards achieving and maintaining sobriety.

What you need to know

Drug prohibition (i.e., the banning of drugs) and criminalization (i.e., making using, selling or having drugs illegal) is costly and ineffective. It is time for these failed policies to end and to invest in the most heavily affected racialized communities.

What is this research about?

Persons with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely than those without SMI to be charged with a criminal offense. They are often incarcerated for minor offenses such as crimes of poverty, offenses related to substance use or minor offenses against judicial orders. These repeated brief incarcerations disrupt access to community services such as housing, income support or access to psychiatric care. A portion of this group also experience rapid and frequent incarcerations, leading to a disproportionate amount of overall service use and cost.

Are you a caregiver of someone living with a mental health issue?

Join us on December 14, 2020 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm to learn more about coping over the holiday season!

Join the HSJCC for a two-day virtual forum bringing together professionals from across the mental health, addictions and justice sectors working in specialized courts, with a focus on mental health and drug treatment courts. Participants will share experiences, discuss promising practices, including key considerations for specialized courts during COVID-19, and collaborate on ways to improve supports for justice-involved individuals with mental health, addictions and other complex needs.

Join the HSJCC for a two-day virtual forum bringing together professionals from across the mental health, addictions and justice sectors working in specialized courts, with a focus on mental health and drug treatment courts. Participants will share experiences, discuss promising practices, including key considerations for specialized courts during COVID-19, and collaborate on ways to improve supports for justice-involved individuals with mental health, addictions and other complex needs.

Join us for this critical conversation exploring the unique challenges faced by cross-over youth – young people involved in both the child welfare and criminal justice systems.

Don't miss "A mother's $6,000 bill" on Page 1 of today's Globe. The pensioner's son was acquitted, but she'll be paying off the phone bill for 11 years.

A new report released by the Racialized Populations and Mental Health and Addiction Community of Interest, highlights that there’s a greater need to collect race-based data in the justice system and use it to help racialized individuals access mental heath court diversion and other support services. The report explores the experiences of racialized individuals in need of mental health court support services and options to divert from the criminal justice system in Toronto.