Since May was established as Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949, advocates across the country have led its observance and spread the word that few issues impact individuals, communities, and systems more than mental health. .
Every year, millions of people across the country struggle with mental health concerns, and nowhere is this more evident than in our courts and judicial system.
Commonly cited research shows that 70% of individuals involved in the criminal justice system have a mental disorder, and 17% of adults (31% of women and 15% of men) have a serious mental illness (SMI) It is estimated that he has.
Additionally, 72% of adults incarcerated with SMI have a co-occurring substance use disorder. This unfortunate reality requires courts to serve as an important source of referrals to community mental health treatment systems, and prisons often have a tenuous position as de facto mental health institutions.
Fortunately, courts and judicial partners communicate, develop, and support responses to address the public health and safety issues that often arise from undertreated or untreated mental health disorders. We are uniquely positioned to go beyond advocacy by uniting communities for the sake of advocacy.
We are proud to share with you the Illinois Courts Mental Health Action Plan, approved by the Illinois Supreme Court in November 2023.
The Mental Health Action Plan is built on the premise that no agency or agency can cope with the overabundance of justice workers with mental health needs, so we all must work together.
While some of the Mental Health Action Plan’s recommendations are within the direct control and authority of the courts, others are relevant to systems whose resources and actions may directly impact the justice system and justice stakeholders. Promoted by
The Mental Health Action Plan theme therefore supports a multidisciplinary and cross-system approach to improving court and community responses to individuals with mental health needs.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite you to learn how courts and communities are leading efforts to improve the intersection of mental health and justice.
To learn more about how Illinois courts are leading change, visit illinoiscourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/committees-and-commissions/mental-health-leading-change.
Kathryn Zenoff is the chair of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Special Advisory Committee on Judiciary and Mental Health Programs, which she has served since 2010. She currently serves on the Illinois Court of Appeals for the Fourth District and previously served in the Second District.
