In December, CSG Justice Center staff assisted state leaders with facilitating the second convening of the Act 423 Interagency Task Force; participated in meetings of the County Planning and Data Collection and Community-Based Crisis Intervention Issue-Specific teams; and continued to provide support to the Governor's office and Division of Aging and Adult Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS) with crisis stabilization unit (CSU) implementation planning. CSG Justice Center staff assisted state leaders in planning the second meeting of the Act 423 Interagency Task Force on December 14.
During the meeting, CSG Justice Center staff, alongside agency representatives, shared implementation updates and highlighted agency accomplishments over the 10 months since Act 423 was enacted, including the implementation of 90 and 180-day administrative sanctions, development of a parole release guidelines tool, and the selection and preparation of four county locations to operate crisis stabilization units. The Task Force also provided input into the selection of screening tools for county jails to adopt, and voted to approve implementation startup funds available from the state's $6.4 million CSU appropriation proposed for counties to use to assist them with ramping up operations. CSG Justice Center staff also discussed key performance and outcomes data that will become available for the Task Force to review in early 2018. It will be important for the Task Force to monitor this data to understand whether policies are having intended impacts. Finally, the Task Force discussed inviting the Little Rock and West Memphis Public Safety Partnership (PSP) teams to attend the next scheduled Task Force meeting to share updates on their work to address violent crime and discuss opportunities for collaboration with the Task Force or Act 423 issue-specific teams.
CSG Justice Center staff also participated in a meeting of the County Planning and Data Collection team. The team discussed two options for a substance abuse screening tool for counties to adopt: the CAGE, and the Texas Christian University Drug Screen (TCUDs). CSG Justice Center staff provided input into the strengths and drawbacks of each tool for the team to consider. The team also decided to establish a smaller work group to work together on a plan to adopt a pre-trial risk assessment tool statewide to help manage county jail populations.
CSG Justice Center staff continued to support the Governor's office and DAABHS with planning for CSU implementation and providing technical assistance to counties. On weekly technical assistance calls, CSG Justice Center staff assisted with providing information and guidance to the four counties selected to operate CSUs on topics including the development of data cohorts to evaluate the impact of CSUs, billing for services via Medicaid and other health insurance providers, and investing savings in expanded services for the target population.
Lastly, CSG Justice Center staff assisted the Core Implementation Team with finalizing funding priorities for the final subaward request and provided guidance to agency staff on completing the last application.
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-12/13: Meeting with JR Coordinator, Assistant Director for Adult Services (DAABHS), Clinical Manager (DAABHS), Assistant Director for Quality Assurance (DAABHS), and Manager (DAABHS) to discuss presenting implementation updates at the Act 423 Interagency Task Force meeting on December 14 and determine the agenda for Friday's weekly CSU Technical Assistance call with counties.
- 12/13: Meeting with Executive Administrator (APB), and Chairman (APB) to discuss presenting implementation updates at the Act 423 Interagency Task Force on December 14 and next steps for technical assistance and training with Board Commissioners and Hearing Officers in January or February of 2018.
- 12/13: Meeting with Chief Legal Counsel (AAC) to debrief and discuss next steps from the December 8 County Planning and Data Collection Team meeting and to discuss getting input and approval from the Interagency Task Force on mental health and substance abuse screening tools recommended by the team.
- 12/13: Meeting with JR Coordinator and Act 423 Interagency Task Force Chair to discuss presenting implementation updates and other topics of discussion to put on the agenda for the December 14 Interagency Task Force meeting.
- 12/14: Meeting with ACC Director and ACC Chief Deputy Director to discuss presenting implementation updates at the Act 423 Interagency Task Force on December 14 and debrief on the first two months since the implementation of new administrative sanctions and a revised Offender Violation Guide.
- 12/14: Meeting with Research and Evaluation Administrator (ACC) to discuss progress with completing application materials for Arkansas's final subaward submission.
- 12/14: Act 423 Interagency Task Force meeting with JR Coordinator, Act 423 Interagency Task Force Chair, ACC Director, ACC, APB Chairman, DAABHS Director, ADC Chief Legal Counsel, State Senator (32nd District), State House of Representatives (6th District), and Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney, and other agency representatives to share implementation updates and highlight agency accomplishments 10 months since the enactment of Act 423; obtain input from the Task Force members on selection of screening tools for county jails to adopt and implementation startup funds proposed for counties to use to assist them with ramping up CSU operations; and to discuss performance and outcomes data that will begin to become available for the Task Force to review and monitoring in early 2018.
- 12/1: CSU Weekly Technical Assistance Call with Assistant Director, Adult Services (DAABHS), JR Coordinator (Governor's office), Assistant Director for Quality Assurance (DAABHS) and representatives from the four counties selected to operate CSUs to share implementation updates.
- 12/5: County Planning and Data Collection Team meeting with Chief Legal Counsel (AAC), JR Coordinator (Governor's office), Deputy County Attorney (Pulaski County), Director (ACIC), Act 423 Interagency Task Force Chair, Legal Services Director (AOC), Program Management Administrator (ACC), Assistant Director for Treatment Services (ACC), Director (ACC), Sebastian County Sheriff, and Executive Director (Mid-South Health Systems) to discuss the selection of mental health, substance abuse, and risk screening tools for adoption county jails and to discuss plans for collecting data statewide on behavioral health needs.
- 12/5: Call with Act 423 Interagency Task Force Chair to discuss a possible funder event in early 2018 to engage foundations to support the state's work addressing mental illness in county jails.
- 12/6: Call with JR Coordinator (Governor's office), to discuss a possible funder event in early 2018 to engage foundations to support the state's work addressing mental illness in county jails.
- 12/6: Call with Assistant Director, Adult Services (DAABHS), JR Coordinator (Governor's office), Assistant Director for Quality Assurance (DAABHS), and Clinical Manager (DAABHS) to discuss next steps for CSU implementation planning and technical assistance for counties.
- 12/7: Call with Sebastian County County Judge, Sebastian County Sheriff and other county and healthcare leaders to discuss plans for developing and monitoring a cohort of individuals referred to the CSU to evaluate the effectiveness of the CSU in reduce the number of visits to the emergency department or county jail.
- 12/8: CSU Weekly Technical Assistance Call with Assistant Director, Adult Services (DAABHS), JR Coordinator (Governor's office), Assistant Director for Quality Assurance (DAABHS) and representatives from the four counties selected to operate CSUs to share implementation updates and discuss Medicaid billing questions and other questions from county leaders.
- 12/8: Call with Chief Deputy County Attorney (Pulaski County Attorney's office) to discuss the selection of mental health and substance abuse screening tools for county jails to adopt and Pulaski County's plans to adopt a pre-trial risk assessment tool.
- 12/8: Call with Executive Administrator (APB), Program Management Administrator (ACC), Research and Evaluation Administrator (ACC) and Research and Planning Administrator (ADC) to coordinate plans for submitting the final subaward application.
- 12/15: CSU Weekly Technical Assistance Call with Assistant Director, Adult Services (DAABHS), JR Coordinator (Governor's office), Assistant Director for Quality Assurance (DAABHS) and representatives from the four counties selected to operate CSUs to share implementation updates, provide an update on the December Interagency Task Force meeting and notify counties of the Task Force's approval of proposed implementation funding to support counties with startup needs.
- 12/21: Community-Based Crisis Intervention Team meeting with JR Coordinator, Assistant Director for Adult Services (DAABHS), Assistant Director for Quality Assurance (DAABHS), Manager (DAABHS), Director (CJI), Training Supervisor (ALETA), Executive Director (Mid-South Health Systems), and Chief Deputy Director (ACC) to discuss implementation progress with CIT training and CSUs.
- 12/21: Check-in with JR Coordinator, Assistant Director for Adult Services (DAABHS), and Clinical Manager (DAABHS) to review and discuss updated project plans submitted by counties to DAABHS and to discuss challenges in Craighead County with obtaining approval of their proposed CSU location due to concerns among business leaders in the community.
Judicial Task Force on Track to Reduce Prison Population by Ten Percent in Six Years
https://csgjusticecenter.org/jr/arkansas/media-clips/arkansas-judicial-…
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