Twelfth Judicial Circuit Awarded Twenty Eight Thousand Dollars in Grant Money to Improve Response for Individuals With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Over twenty eight thousand dollars is being awarded to the 12th Judicial Circuit to host training to improve criminal justice responses for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.

The $28,750 grant was awarded by the Justice Reinvestment Executive Oversight Council through the Missouri Department of Corrections.

12th Circuit Presiding Judge Jason Lamb said “We are grateful to the Council for approving the funding and to the Governor for the commitment to Justice Reinvestment in Missouri,” said Lamb. “This project is the result of collaboration by our local criminal justice stakeholders and builds on the good work within our circuit over the years with Treatment Courts and Crisis Intervention Team training for law enforcement officers. By continually improving our responses to individual circumstances we increase the faith and confidence that all people can have in the criminal justice system.”

The training will use the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) to aid in the identification of resources, gaps and barriers at different stages throughout the criminal justice system including community services, law enforcement, initial detention and initial court hearings, jails, courts, re-entry and community corrections.

The project will provide for the training of approximately 20 professionals and stakeholders, including judges, both locally and from around the state.