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The Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Substance Abuse Services

Phone: (804) 786-3921
Voice TDD: (804) 371-8977
Toll Free: (800) 451-5544
Fax: (804) 371-6638

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1797
Richmond VA, 23218-1797
    2-1-1 is a free three digit telephone number that Virginians can call for resources for counseling services, crisis intervention, volunteer opportunities and other health and human service referrals. Visit the 2-1-1 website.

Commonwealth Consortium on Mental Health/Criminal Justice Transformation

State and national surveys show that 16 percent of all jail inmates have some form of mental illness. Findings also suggest that persons with mental illness are far too often subject to arrest and incarceration in Virginia for minor “nuisance” offenses related to their symptoms, and that many jail inmates with mental illness do not receive adequate mental health treatment in our jails, or when they return to the community. This lack of treatment access can lead to continuing acute illness or relapse, as well as engagement in criminal activity, including violent acts.

On January 28, 2008, Governor Timothy M. Kaine, signed Executive Order 62 which established the Commonwealth Consortium for Mental Health/Criminal Justice Transformation. The Consortium is tasked with the development of a comprehensive approach to address the challenging needs of individuals with mental illness in the Commonwealth’s criminal justice system.
 

GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE TRANSFORMATION:

The first major training conference of the Consortium, the Governor's Conference for Mental Health and Criminal Justice Transformation, will be held May 13 - 14, 2008, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Click here for agenda information (pdf).  A key goal of the conference will be to assist localities with initiating or furthering their community planning for jail diversion and improved services for individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

Each Virginia community services board is working jointly with the community criminal justice board and community corrections office in their locality to select a team of representatives to attend the training.  Each team should include: a General District Court judge, a commonwealth’s attorney, a public defender or indigent defense counsel, the jail superintendent or sheriff, the locality’s chief of police (in localities with police and sheriff’s departments), the local community corrections director, and the CSB Executive Director.  The teams will be confirmed with DMHMRSAS through an acceptance form.
 

FOR CONFIRMED ATTENDEES:

If you have questions, please contact Jamilah Scott at (804) 786-8548, or (804) 786-8044.
 

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