America's Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project

America's Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or through agreements with other public or nonprofit entities, for not more than 100 programs that involve: (1) continuing judicial supervision, including periodic review, over preliminarily qualified offenders with mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders who are charged with misdemeanors or non-violent offenses; and (2) the coordinated delivery of services. Provides that the coordinated delivery of services includes: (1) specialized training of law enforcement and judicial personnel to identify and address the unique needs of a mentally ill or mentally retarded offender; (2) voluntary outpatient or inpatient mental health treatment in the least restrictive manner appropriate, as determined by the court, that carries with it the possibility of dismissal of charges or reduced sentencing upon successful completion of treatment; (3) centralized case management involving the consolidation of all of a mentally ill or mentally retarded defendant's cases (including violations of probation) and the coordination of all mental health treatment plans and social services, including life skills training; and (4) continuing supervision of treatment plan compliance for a term not to exceed the maximum allowable sentence or probation for the charged or relevant offense and continuity of psychiatric care at the end of the supervised period.. Defines: (1) "mental illness" as a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria within the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, that has resulted in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities; and (2) "preliminarily qualified offender with mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders" to mean a person who previously or currently has been diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional as having a mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders or who manifests obvious signs of mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders during arrest or confinement or before any court and is deemed eligible by designated judges. Directs the Attorney General to issue regulations and guidelines necessary to carry out this Act, including the methodologies and outcome measures proposed for evaluating each applicant program. Includes among grant requirements a requirement that applicants certify that there has been appropriate consultation with all affected agencies and that there will be appropriate coordination with all affected agencies in program implementation, including the State mental health authority. Sets forth provisions regarding application requirements, the Federal cost share (75 percent), geographic distribution of grants, reporting requirements, and technical assistance, training, and evaluation. Authorizes appropriations.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on September 26, 2000. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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