Judges & Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative receives grant to expand training to improve responses to serious mental illness

A new grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation will expand judicial training across the country to strengthen judicial responses to serious mental illness through the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI). 

As a JPLI partner, NCSC works with the American Psychiatric Association Foundation and Council of State Governments Justice Center to deliver curriculum, evaluate outcomes, develop new training resources, build a virtual community for training recipients, and establish a community of practice for ongoing professional development and technical assistance. 

With a goal of training 10,000 judges by 2030, JPLI has trained more than 5,000 judges in states including California, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, and beyond.

"The National Center for State Courts is committed to the education of judges around mental illness and diversion opportunities to improve court responses to individuals with mental health needs," said NCSC Principal Court Management Consultant Michelle O'Brien. "As a partner organization of JPLI, we are excited to receive the foundation's support to continue the significant work with judges and psychiatrists which reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for court-involved individuals with mental illness."

The award allows JPLI to continue its work to address gaps in knowledge and skills for improving responses to people with mental health and substance abuse disorders. To date, NCSC has assisted with recruiting judges for training, planning and coordinating train-the-trainer events, and supporting a community of practice. NCSC also contributed to updated judicial bench guides and other publications.