Social Work in Criminal Legal Settings

Active grants

The Social Work in Criminal Legal Settings research area aims to provide communities, organizations, and behavioral health and law enforcement agencies with expertise, evaluation, support, training, and technical assistance to optimize diversion of individuals from jail and prison through the implementation of best and innovative practices at every intercept of the criminal justice continuum (SSW Center for Behavioral Health & Justice). Topics include jail diversion, recidivism, treatment of individuals who are incarcerated, and juvenile justice.

Amendment 1: Recovery Works Contract

Principal Investigator: Bradley Ray

Grant Funder: Indiana Family and Social Services Administration

The purpose of this document is to outline the scope of work for the continued evaluation of Recovery Works and will focus on
linking data from the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction's (DMHA) Recovery Works program to the Indiana Management Performance Hub's (MPH) Drug Data Warehouse. The MPH data elements include information from emergency medical services (EMS), the emergency department (ED), vital records, Indiana State Police (ISP), and the Indiana Department of Corrections (DOC). Data on Recovery Works includes information from DARMHA (Data Assessment Registry Mental Health and Addiction), which contains NOMS (National Outcomes Measures) from baseline engagement as well as follow-up periods, and WITS (Web Infrastructure for Treatment Services) information on vouchers. Moreover, DMHA can provide agency level indicators to determine from whom Recovery Works clients received treatment or services in the community. This data should allow us to examine several additional outcomes among Recovery Works clients such as (1) EMS utilization, (2) ED utilization, (3) arrest by ISP, (4) incarceration in DOC, and (5) mortality.

Bureau of Justice Assistance Project Evaluation - Washtenaw County

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant funder: U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Innovations in Reentry Initiatives Program

The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) applied for and received grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Innovations in Reentry Initiatives Program. The grant will focus on two broad goals: 1) General system improvements. The WCSO and other county agency leaders, via a newly formed task force, will begin to execute system changes as identified in the initial planning phase. Proposed funding will increase the number of individuals served and expand of the level of care given to individuals served. It is hypothesized that re-entry service expansion will result in the following outcomes: Reduction of the number and rate of people entering the Washtenaw County Jail on technical violations; and Reduction of recidivism, measured by number of arrests and length of time between release and next arrest. 2) Demonstration project. A new program will target individuals who are assessed as having a medium to high risk of recidivism through validated, evidence-based screening tools. The project will focus on those who screen positive for homelessness or housing insecurity, mental health needs, and/or substance use disorder needs. The project will include an intervention through enhanced case management and the use of supportive housing to reduce recidivism. The Washtenaw Housing Authority (WHA) is currently planning various housing opportunities where funding is needed to initiate plans and support a supportive housing model. The program will serve a minimum of 150 individuals over the course of two years.

In accordance with the "Bureau of Justice Assistance JMHC Program Performance Measures," WCSO will partner and contract with Wayne State University School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (WSU) to conduct an independent evaluation of the above goals.

The WSU evaluation team will compile a comprehensive evaluation report which will include a narrative of findings and tabular presentations of report findings and results. Activities: Conduct face-to-face meetings with key stakeholders involved in the implementation of all stated goals to examine.

Collaborative Research: D-ISN: Assessing the Relationship Between Drug Marked Disruptions and Overdoses

Principal Investigator: Bradley Ray

Grant Funder: RTI International for the National Science Foundation

The overall goal of this project is to develop national and local data sources that allow us to model and mitigate the unintended
impact of law enforcement efforts to disrupt the illicit drug supply network. Our analysis will look both at county and
neighborhood level effects of the illicit supply network and distinguish across multiple illicit substances (e.g., fentanyl, heroin,
methamphetamine, cocaine, benzodiazepines, prescription medications, and cannabis). We will study the effect of network
disruptions on the transition to more potent substances and subsequent changes in rates of drug overdoses.

Disposition Matrix Development and Validation

Principal Investigator: Megan Hicks

SSW Collaborator: Erin Comartin

Grant Funder: Hudson Webber Foundation

A committee comprised of representatives from Wayne County, the Third Circuit Court, and the Third Circuit Court Clinic for Child Study, was convened under the leadership of Chief Judge Timothy Kenny in May 2019 to open discussions regarding the continuation of services through the Court's Clinic for Child Study. These discussions resulted in three decisions to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system within the county: 1) restructure the Clinic for Child Study to focus solely on assessment of youth prior to disposition, 2) use a risk assessment tool at the point of entry into the juvenile justice system to determine the risks, strengths and needs of the youth and family in an effort to divert more youth and to provide resources early on to support the family, and 3) engage defense earlier in the process, once a petition has been filed to enable defense counsel to provide a better defense. The Court decided to adopt the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) as its risk/needs assessment tool and implementation of this tool began in June 2020.

Educational Transition Coordinators for Formerly Incarcerated Persons Returning the Wayne Count - A Pilot Program

Principal Investigator: Stephanie Hartwell

SSW Collaborator: Dean Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan

Evaluation of Harm Reduction Street Outreach Teams

Principal Investigator: Bryan Victor

Grand Funder: Indiana Family and Social Services Administration

Since the 1950s street outreach programs have addressed issues such as homelessness, violence, and disease prevention.1 Outreach teams informed by the philosophy and practice of harm reduction have demonstrated ability to connect vulnerable persons who use drugs to health care services.2 Through the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA), the state of Indiana is implementing ten (10) harm reduction street outreach (HRSO) teams for two-years. The HRSOs are intended to consist of two outreach workers per team who will engage with persons who use drugs in the community to provide information on and referrals to treatment services and distribute harm reduction kits. To understand the implementation processes and effectiveness of these teams, this evaluation is guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainability framework, which seeks involvement from stakeholders who understand the external and internal context towards this innovative programming.

Examining the Iatrogenic Effect of Law Enforcement Disruptions to the Illicit Drug Market on Overdose in the Surrounding Community

Principal Investigator: Bradley Ray

SSW Collaborator(s): Erin Comartin & Bryan Victor

Grant Funder: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The proposed project will determine the relationship between law enforcement drug market disruptions and overdose
stimulating a new line of research and providing information for an actionable response. This outcome is well aligned with
Objective 2 and our guiding research question asks: Do law enforcement drug market disruption of specific substances
methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, or other opioids have an iatrogenic effect on fatal or nonfatal overdose events in
the surrounding area and what are the opportunities to intervene? We will address this question through four Aims. First, using
street-level information on drug seizures from a property room database managed by a large metropolitan jurisdiction
(Indianapolis, IN) that have already been acquired by investigators we will examine the association between seizures and fatal
and non-fatal overdose events using advanced analytic methods (Aim 1). Next, we will then develop an open-source database of
media stories on drug seizure events (Aim 2) that will allow us to examine the homogeneity with the property-room data but
also to replicate our analysis in a second metropolitan jurisdiction (Aim 3). Finally, using a community-engaged research
framework with local law enforcement and media sources we will develop process maps of the drug seizure process to identify
areas for intervention or harm mitigation (Aim 4). This project will increase awareness of this issue; provide generalizable data
collection methodologies that other jurisdictions to surveil drug market disruptions; and help reduce overdose deaths.

Improving Care for Justice Involved Patients

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: State of Michigan Department of Health & Human Services - MDHHS

The Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) proposes to continue to serve as consultants and evaluators of the ICJIP Phase 2 project. This project will focus on the improvement of care continuity for individuals entering and exiting the county jail through 1) the implementation of two Care Connect 360 (CC360) user roles, one for jail healthcare staff and one for jail booking personnel, within eight pilot jails, to provide greater access to medical information, and 2) the improvement of Medicaid continuity by developing best practices for the suspension and reactivation of Medicaid during and following incarceration. It is noted that this proposal has been revised to accommodate new information shared by MDHHS regarding the ICJIP pilot including 1) the expansion to eight pilot sites, and 2) the separate roll-out of two user roles at two separate time points for jail healthcare and booking staff, and the uncertainty at this time of how Medicaid continuity will be improved.

Juvenile Justice Risk Assessment Process and Outcome Evaluation

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant funder: Hudson Webber Foundation

Wayne County has been known as an innovator in juvenile justice services since they launched a managed care model of juvenile justice in 2000. Now twenty years later, they are reviewing the system for additional improvements that can be made in order to provide the "best justice system possible" for the youth served by the Third Judicial Circuit Court and the Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness. Through a series of facilitated meetings and a review of evidence-based program research facilitated by the Wayne State University School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ), the Court and the County have decided to launch two significant changes to the current juvenile justice system. The first change is to complete a juvenile risk assessment at the front-end of the justice process, after a petition has been filed, but prior to adjudication. The second is to assign defense counsel to qualifying juveniles earlier in the court process, and to provide defense counsel with the results of the risk and needs assessment in order to better inform case processing and defense strategy.

Juvenile Justice Risk Assessment Process and Outcome Evaluation: A Proposal by the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice For McGregor Foundation

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: McGregor Fund

The Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) at the Wayne State University School of Social Work, along with the Wayne County Third Circuit Court in collaboration with the Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness will conduct an evaluation of the implementation, process and outcomes related to three significant changes that the Court is making to the front end of the juvenile justice process.

Michigan Justice Fund General Operating Support Proposal

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

SSW Collaborator: Erin Comartin

Grant Funder: Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan

The Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ), within the School of Social Work at Wayne State University, is committed to diversion and deflection of individuals with behavioral health needs who are involved at any intercept of the criminal/legal system. Operating across the Sequential Intercept Model, current CBHJ projects span the criminal/legal continuum - from enhancing community supports as a preventative approach, to improving community response to behavioral health crises, to early identification of behavioral health concerns at jail intake, to improving continuity of care by bridging re-entry of individuals from jail or prison to the community. Our focus and engagement of stakeholders at the county-level is key to both the successful implementation of state-led priorities and the identification and resolution of barriers that impede local progress. Established at WSU in August 2018, the CBHJ is a 100% grant-funded center operating on a patchwork of federal, state, county, and foundation grants. Harnessing the talents and expertise of 40 full-time staff, plus a network of faculty affiliates and scholars, the CBHJ has successfully implemented over $7 million in grants and is currently engaged with 24 of Michigan's 83 counties. The mission of CBHJ aligns with that of the Michigan Justice Fund (MJF) and can readily serve to advance its goals and objectives. Operational support can bolster the CBHJ's ongoing efforts to serve as a leading voice to inform state justice policy 21-1679 Michigan Justice Fund General Operating Support Proposal PI: Pimlott-Kubiak, Sheryl Page: 4 of 5 and disseminate justice policy best practices. Below we outline how the work of the CBHJ can advance the goals and objectives of the MJF over the next two years. In support of this proposal to MJF, WSU President M. Roy Wilson has committed to match funds secured under this grant to further support and enhance efforts of the CBHJ across Michigan to prevent the flow of individuals with behavioral health concerns into the criminal/legal system.

Overview of the Criminal Legal System in Michigan: Adults and Youth (CFSEM: Data Landscape 2.0)

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan

The Public Welfare Foundation has requested an updated data-informed overview of the justice system in Michigan. The first such overview, titled "Overview of the Criminal Legal System in Michigan: Adults and Youth", was published in September 2021 and co-authored by the CBHJ and the Child and Adolescent Data Lab at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. The report provided a comprehensive snapshot of Michigan's criminal legal system for adults and youth, revealing gaps within publicly available data and offering a roadmap forward. The release of the report was accompanied by an opinion editorial authored by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II and was swiftly followed by a statewide data convening. The data convening was organized and hosted by the CBHJ with support from the Michigan Justice Fund and brought together stakeholders from across the criminal legal continuum to develop long-term plan for data improvement.

Overview of the Criminal Legal System in Michigan: Adults and Youth (PWF: Data Landscape)

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: Public Welfare Foundation

Peers to Professionals

Principal Investigator: Takisha LaShore

Grant Funder: Michigan Health Endowment Fund

Behavioral health organizations are seeing a growing demand for qualified, well-trained employees, particularly working at the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal/legal system. Peer support specialists are those with 'lived experience,' who are well-placed to fill this demand in diversion, deflection and crisis efforts. The goal of this project is to develop mechanisms that will financially and structurally support the formal education, licensure and stability of peers to fill the need for open and future positions.

Project BA: Substance Use Disorder Education

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)

CBHJ has experience facilitating the implementation of MOUD in county jails that are both large (e.g. Kent County, with a jail
capacity of approximately 1100) and small (e.g. Monroe County, with a jail capacity of 363) with multiple configurations of public
and for-profit providers and jail data management systems, with a consistent focus on behavioral health that includes SUD and
mental health treatment across the entire criminal-legal spectrum. The overarching goal of the OTE is not to simply "check off
the MAT box" but to eradicate stigma and achieve culture change that fosters the standard of care for opioid use disorder (OUD)
as a chronic care condition and empowers correctional staff to consider the critical role they play in combatting the overdose
epidemic. To accomplish this, the CBHJ will: 1) implement the "OTE Jail MOUD Model" in nine jail facilities over three years; 2)
develop MOUD training materials to streamline future efforts. This bottom-up approach will invite new jails and community
providers into the existing OTE Community of Practice to share progress, barriers, and learn from each other; and 3) measure
culture change among implementation stakeholders using validated survey tools.

Sequential Intercept Model for Wayne County Mental Health Jail Diversion

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Collaborating: Erin Comartin

Grant funder: Ethel & James Flinn Family Foundation

The Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) is proposing a two-year project to continue to facilitate the implementation of the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM), mapping recommendations identified by Wayne County stakeholders. The SIM mapping, which was funded by the Flinn Foundation and conducted by Policy Research Associates in 2018, identified priorities for improving diversion efforts for people with behavioral health needs in each of the six intercepts: Community Services (Intercept 0), Law Enforcement (Intercept 1), Initial Detention/Initial Court Proceedings (Intercept 2), Jails/Courts (Intercept 3), Reentry (Intercept 4), and Community Connections (Intercept 5). The facilitation work done by the CBHJ has concentrated on coordinating and implementing changes in intercepts 0 and 1. The CBHJ has built relationships with and between law enforcement, hospitals, the probate court, DWIHN, DWIHN's Clinically Responsible Service Providers (CRSPs) and newly funded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). The work of the WCJ/MHI in intercepts 0 and 1 will be the framework used as the WCJ/MHI shifts focus to intercepts 2 and 3. The WCJ/MHI will continue identifying barriers to change, focusing on system-wide collaboration, relationship building and information sharing. The WCJ/MHI has identified three areas where CBHJ assistance is requested: (1) Facilitate the design of a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), (2) Facilitate the development of a Familiar Faces program, and (3) Coordinate efforts to create a behavioral health problem-solving approach in the district courts.

Implementation of Phase 2 of the Criminal/Legal Data Integration Project

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan

In response to the publication entitled Overview of the Criminal Legal System in Michigan: Adults and Youth, which highlighted the lack of available data in our criminal/legal systems, the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ), with support from the Michigan Justice Fund, launched an initiative to bring cross-systems partners together to co-create a blueprint for moving Michigan forward in collecting and integrating data across the criminal legal system. A series of convenings were held in collaboration with Consensus Building Institute (CBI) and Measures for Justice, to develop the blueprint, timeline, and next steps for integrated, accurate, consistent, and transparent criminal/legal system data. Phase 2 of this process proposes to begin to implement the steps outlined in the blueprint. This phase will initiate data sharing activities and build appropriate data structures to enable sharing criminal/legal data across systems. The primary steps necessary to enable cross-system data sharing are outlined below. â€¢ Determine what data, if shared across systems, could provide the biggest benefits to each participating system, and to the state as a whole. â€¢ Create a data dictionary: identifying what data needs to be shared, determining key data elements to include for cross-system data sharing, and developing standardized definitions of these data, â€¢ Address unique identification of individuals involved in the criminal legal system, with appropriate privacy protections, along with standardized demographic information, to enable tracking of individuals over time and to allow analysis of differential involvement and outcomes by demographic characteristic â€¢ Develop protocols for sharing data through secure IT systems, including legal agreements on accountability/liability for protection of individual privacy, responding to requests for information from individuals, organizations, media, and government agencies, and publishing reports based on cross-system aggregated data â€¢ Explore and clarify avenues and responsibilities for funding, training, maintenance, and support â€¢ Determine where the integrated data will reside

The National Center for Health and Justice Integration for Suicide Prevention (NCHATS) - YR2

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Kubiak

Grant Funder: Michigan State Univeristy

Death within jails and city lockups, and particularly death related to suicide, is a leading cause of liability for municipalities, particularly counties. It is in our interest, as well as the counties we represent, to decrease suicidal behavior and suicidal deaths within jails and lockups. The algorithm described in this proposal provides a data driven approach to identify individuals most at risk for suicide. Using that algorithm on a jail population to determine if it is an accurate and valid predictor of suicidal risk could improve identification practices within the jail and thereby, decrease the risk. It could also help prioritize, among this high-risk population, those who may be at greatest risk, reducing suicidal behaviors and suicidal deaths within the jail.