Dr. Prezioso, Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services in Saratoga County, in collaboration with RISE Housing and Support Services, presented a community-based Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collaboration training with instructors Dr. Steven Lamberti and Dr. Robert Weisman, experts in forensic psychiatry.
The training focused primarily on criminology of individuals with mental health concerns, and rates of recidivism. The training explored ways to further collaborate between law enforcement and mental health providers, the current approaches to incarceration diversion in Saratoga County, as well as a thorough safety training in relation to individuals with mental health concerns that are involved with multi-risk factors, including criminal involvement.
The Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collaboration:
- Part 1: General information regarding the mental health and criminal justice collaboration in Saratoga County.
- Promoting collaboration between criminal justice and mental health
service providers - Current approaches to incarceration diversion
- Promoting collaboration between criminal justice and mental health
- Part 2: The practice of Forensic Case Management
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- Safety Training for interacting with justice-involved individuals suffering
from serious mental health and substance use disorders
- Safety Training for interacting with justice-involved individuals suffering
This new initiative includes the creation of a Forensic Case Management Team Pilot Program, that will be implemented and carried out by RISE Housing and Support Services at the Saratoga County Court. This program is intended to bridge the gap between mental health care and criminal justice.