Smart justice, better outcomes
Texas jails and emergency rooms are filled with people who have lived with untreated mental illness for years, often cycling in and out of the justice system. Increasingly, organizations and communities across Texas are implementing “smart justice” policies to more capably and strategically respond to mental health crises. The Meadows Institute is working in cities and communities across the state to help create and implement effective programs built upon these policies.
Public Safety Workforce Health, Wellness & Resiliency
Better paths to routine mental health treatment
Promoting smarter response to crises
Texas is changing the way we respond to mental health-related emergencies. In South Dallas, under a pilot program called RIGHT Care, 9-1-1 calls regarding mental crises are responded to by a police officer, a mental health care professional, and a paramedic. The goal of programs like these is fewer arrests and more instances where people are safely guided to the mental health care they need, while freeing up police officers, jails, and emergency rooms.
Crafting a more responsive judicial system
Our judicial system has historically been ill-equipped to handle defendants who need mental health care. This is crucial, because many people who suffer from untreated mental illness find themselves in the hands of the courts at one time or another. The Meadows Institute is working to help the courts establish infrastructure – such as the state’s Judicial Commission on Mental Health – to help the justice system be more adept and responsive regarding mental health issues.
Better training for responders
While police officers and other first responders are frequently the first people to interact with those in mental health crisis, these officers themselves are all too often inadequately trained in mental health identification and available community resources. The Meadows Institute partners with police departments to analyze their training and determine how they can maximize the ability of their departments and their officers to achieve better outcomes in these crisis situations while partnering with health professionals in their communities.
Driving Change
The Meadows Institute is committed to improving all aspects of how the criminal justice system interacts with people with mental illness, from expanding capacity to ensuring that health care services and judicial leadership have the tools they need to ensure those who need care can get it.
Featured Case Study
Dallas County Smart Justice Project
SUMMARY – The Dallas County Smart Justice Project aimed to reduce the number of people with mental illness who receive primary treatment in jail or only after encounters with law enforcement. With the support of the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation, the Meadows Institute provided policy guidance to Dallas County during planning and implementation of their Smart Justice project.
Featured Projects
view moreCity of Abilene Multidisciplinary Community Response Team Study
The City of Abilene launched a multidisciplinary Community Response Team to improve justice system performance in responding to mental health crisis 911 calls. The...
Transforming Police Responses to Mental Health Emergencies: Rapid Integrated Group Healthcare Team (RIGHT Care)
SUMMARY - The RIGHT Care Program is a data-driven approach to emergency mental health crisis response that is helping transform criminal justice and health...