Expand the scope of partnerships and projects
The partnerships that sustain CIT are in a strong position to advocate for additional changes to the way the community responds to people with mental illness. As CIT programs mature and broaden their networks, they often support the creation of other programs that intervene to help people with mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system, such as mental health courts, correctional mental health treatment programs and re-entry programs that link people with mental health care and other needed services.
These partners are also in a strong position to become advocates for additional mental health services. Front-line workers connected with the program –CIT officers and emergency mental health providers–are in an excellent position to notice where more, or more effective, services are needed to help people living with mental illness. Criminal justice leaders are respected authorities that can influence legislators. By standing up and joining with advocates and mental health providers, criminal justice leaders provide a unique and powerful voice. Specifically, these leaders can illustrate how cuts to mental health services place burdens on the justice system. They can show how the criminal justice system and individuals with mental illness benefit from improved services. Working together, these partners can advocate for more effective services or to prevent cuts to existing services.
Perspectives: Successful advocacy efforts are often pushed by charismatic, influential community leaders, with a personal interest in mental health issues. These champions command respect and can recruit new partners or reach out to the media. In some states, judges have been champions, as have powerful sheriffs and other criminal justice leaders.
Resources
Florida Partners in Crisis, Advocacy Tools
The Council of State Governments, Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project