New initiative aims to reduce number of patients with mental illnesses in US jails

The American Psychiatric Foundation recently announced its support for the Stepping Up Initiative, a national collaboration to reduce the number of patients with mental illnesses in U.S. jails.

The Stepping Up Initiative is led by the National Association of Counties, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Foundation and receives support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The number of individuals with serious mental illness in U.S. jails has reached approximately 2 million, indicating a crisis, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Saul Levin

The initiative will provide counties with guidance on how to develop an action plan that effectively uses budgets to increase access to treatment and promote alternatives to jail.

County leaders who support the initiative are expected to pass resolutions that call for further research to determine the extent of this issue within each jail and establish a team of diverse stakeholders to assess data and form appropriate action plans.

“The American Psychiatric Foundation is proud to be a key partner in launching Stepping Up,” Saul Levin, MD, MPA, chairman of the American Psychiatric Foundation, said in a press release. “People with mental illness need and deserve treatment, not incarceration. This front-line effort advances our mission to ensure that all people with mental illness have access to appropriate care.”

For more information:

Visit www.stepuptogether.org to join the call to action.