County of Durham issued the following announcement on Dec. 27.
The Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC) was recently chosen for a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) grant award of $467,696 for the Mental Health Court Expansion Initiative (MHCEI).
The CJRC will collaborate with the Durham County District Attorney’s Office and the Durham County Courts to enhance the capacity of the existing Mental Health Court and align with best practices.
“The Mental Health Court Expansion Initiative addresses critical gaps in the Durham County diversion efforts by enhancing treatment supports for Mental Health Court clients,” said Gudrun Parmer, Director of the Criminal Justice Resource Center. “The MHCEI also addresses the needs of individuals with mental illnesses who do not meet Mental Health Court eligibility requirements.”
In accordance with Mental Health Court best practices, the CJRC and its partners will establish an interdisciplinary advisory team of stakeholders from criminal justice, mental health, and substance use service providers to assist with planning and administration of the project. The University of North Carolina is a proposed subcontractor.
The award is part of the DOJ’s Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program’s Fiscal Year 2021 Competitive Grant Solicitation. The program was set up to provide support to criminal justice agencies to partner with mental health agencies and reduce crime and recidivism associated with people with mental illness and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse issues. Prior to this award, Durham County had received a Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Project grant in 2016 in the amount of $228,828.
For more information about this award and the Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center, contact Gudrun Parmer at 919-560-0500 or email to gparmer@dconc.gov.
Original source can be found here.
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