Racial Inequity and Discrimination in Mental Health: Promoting Equity In Crisis Services and the Criminal Legal System-Handouts: Slides

Handouts: Slides

Pdf Summary

This document appears to be a transcript or digital handout from a presentation titled "Racial Inequity and Discrimination in Mental Health: Promoting Equity in Crisis Services and the Criminal Legal System." The presentation covers the topics of structural racism, discrimination, and prejudice, and how they impact individuals with mental illness involved in the criminal legal system. It also discusses policy interventions to address structural racism in the mental health and criminal legal systems.<br /><br />The document includes information on the definitions of prejudice, discrimination, and racism, as well as the concept of structural racism. It highlights inequities in the mental health system, such as limited access to care, disparities in treatment options, and misdiagnosis in minority populations. It also discusses inequities in the crisis services system, including racial disparities in access to services and higher rates of involvement with the criminal justice system for substance use issues among Black men.<br /><br />The document explores the intersection of mental illness and the criminal legal system, noting high rates of police contacts and arrests involving individuals with mental illness, as well as the use of force and fatalities in these encounters. It suggests alternative crisis response strategies, such as community-based non-law enforcement responses and partnerships between law enforcement and mental health clinicians.<br /><br />The presentation highlights the Sequential Intercept Model, which identifies multiple points along the carceral system continuum to intervene and redirect individuals with mental illness to services instead of incarceration. It also mentions support programs, like mobile crisis support and specialty problem-solving courts, as well as the need to address missed opportunities for substance use treatment in correctional settings.<br /><br />Finally, the document discusses future directions, such as recognizing multiple identities in training and programming, embedding behavioral health officials with law enforcement, and increasing evidence-based treatments. It also emphasizes the importance of engaging the community, addressing the unique needs of children, and examining population-specific needs. The document includes references for further reading and invites participants to submit questions for a Q&A session.

Keywords

Racial Inequity

Discrimination

Mental Health

Equity

Crisis Services

Criminal Legal System

Structural Racism

Prejudice

Policy Interventions

Intersection of Mental Illness and Criminal Justice