Background:

Specialty mental health probation (SMHP) is a promising practice that enhances mental health treatment engagement and reduces recidivism among people with mental illnesses. Our research team conducted a directed content analysis guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to analyze qualitative interviews with specialty mental health probation officers and their supervising chiefs.

The proliferation of these specialized approaches has been driven by: (1) the high prevalence of mental illnesses among those under community supervision; (2) a national call for specialized approaches to supervise individuals with mental illnesses; and (3) emergent research on the effectiveness of specialized mental health probation (SMHP) on improving mental health and criminal justice outcomes. Despite this increased attention, little is known about the real-world implementation of specialized mental health supervision approaches or the resources officers need to deliver them.

Aims:

The purpose of this study is to (a) specify the core components of SMHP; (b) identify needed resources for officers to best supervise a SMHP caseload; and (c) explore how specialty officers engage individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental illnesses.

Principal Investigator:

Tonya Van Deinse

Articles:

Van Deinse, T. B., Crable, E. L., Dunn, C., Weis, J., & Cuddeback, G. (2021). Probation officers’ and supervisors’ perspectives on critical resources for implementing specialty mental health probation. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48, 408-419.