The vendor is required to provide multi-site mental health screening and assessment tool services for include:
• Review existing mental health screening and risk-need-responsivity (RNR) tools validated for use with justice-involved adults
• This includes the male and female felony and misdemeanor population, with varied race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic settings.
• Develop (or adapt an existing nonproprietary tool from the public domain) a mental health screening and assessment tool for use in mental health courts (MHCS), to identify and address the comprehensive needs of justice-involved adults living with mental illness.
• These needs may include trauma, postpartum conditions, risk of violence, history of exposure to violence, and co-occurring substance use disorders.
• The tool must include mental health screening with a risk needs responsivity plus risk of violence (RNR/V) -based assessment and risk-responsive case management protocol, embedded into the daily practice of diverse MHCS an RNR/V assessment tool for statewide MHC implementation (digital and manual) to assess mental health conditions, criminogenic risks, and violence exposure among justice involved individuals living with mental illness.
• The tool will integrate structured assessments based on dsm-5 criteria and criminogenic risk models, ensuring accurate identification of behavioral health needs.
• The tool will include static and dynamic factors including criminal history, mental health symptomology, criminogenic factors, and exposure to trauma and violence.
• The final product will be known as the state mental health screening and assessment tool (m-sat).
• Implement statewide virtual information sessions for all operational MHCS to provide an overview of the RNR model and introduce the m-sat.
• Adapt m-sat to be compatible for integration into the existing data collection system used by state MHCS, the universal case management system, treatment services module (UCMS-TSM).
• Develop and deliver in-depth training programs and written materials to support MHC practitioners in administering the tool and to pilot site MHC staff on the development, structure, and administration of the m-sat, as follows:
o Pre-training calls to each site to determine current court practice and to inform training needs.
o Develop a training manual that includes instructions on administering the m-sat and interpreting results as well as basic RNR principles.
• Work collaboratively with each of the pilot MHCS to create a feasible, risk-based case management protocol informed by the m-sat results.
o RISK – differentiate the supervision and case management intensity for the MHC based on criminogenic risk factors.
o Need - identify local resources available for each identified need and modify as needed throughout the pilot.
• Conduct a pilot test of the m-sat and the risk-based case management protocol to evaluate their effectiveness and inform broader implementation.
• Provide ongoing technical assistance to pilot MHCS during m-sat implementation to address challenges and questions about the tool and case management protocols.
• Provide appropriate supervision and oversight of any contractor staff or subcontractors included on this project.
- Contract Period/Term: 3 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: May 27, 2025