The 2008 CMHS National GAINS Center Conference represents a unique opportunity for practitioners and researchers working at the interfaces of the criminal justice and mental health systems to network, learn, and share knowledge on creating effective services for justice-involved individuals with mental illness.

Click here to register for the conference.

Resources

Peer Support

Persons with mental illness can feel isolated and alone when dealing with symptoms of mental illness. Peer support is a way for these persons to stay connected to others through physical ties and emotional means.  Peer support is based on the belief that people who have faced, endured, and overcome adversity can offer useful support, encouragement, hope, and mentorship to others facing similar situations. To find more programs that offer peer support visit Peer Support.org. 

The GAINS Center’s most popular publications for January, 2008:

1.  A Best Practice Approach to Community Re-Entry from Jails for Inmates with Co-Occurring Disorders: The APIC Model

2.  Overview of the Mental Health Service System for Criminal Justice Professionals

3.  Developing a Comprehensive Plan for Mental Health-Criminal Justice Collaboration

4.  Screening and Assessment of Co-Occurring Disorders in the Justice System

5.  A Guide to Implementing Police-Based Diversion Programs for People with Mental Illness

System Tranformation

Sustaining community development and providing resources for persons with mental illness has become a nationwide objective. The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is supporting the development and transformation of mental health programs throughout the United States.  SAMSHA has implemented the Transformation Transfer Initiative to fund ten states for one year.  This initiative is designed to help communities develop and expand efforts to improve local mental health systems.  Click here to review information on this new pilot program. 

WHAT'S UPCOMING

2/10-13  American Probation and Parole Association – 2008 Winter Training Institute more...

2/24-27 Research & Training Center for Children's Mental Health-21st Annual Research Conference more...

3/5-8 American Psychology-Law Society – 2008 Annual Conference more...

3/13-17  Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences – 2008 Annual Meeting more...

3/14-17 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting more...

3/25-27  Office for Victims of Crime – Mental Health Response to Mass Violence and Terrorism more...

4/10-13 American College of Forensic Psychology-24th Annual Symposium more...

5/3-8  American Psychiatric Association – 2008 APA Annual Meeting more...

11/12-15 American Society of Criminology – Annual Meeting 2007 more...