Behavioral health subgroup posts bench card, plans telehealth guidance and a heat map to target service gaps

Sarah, cochair of the behavioral health work group, told the committee that a bench-card subgroup produced a bench card and guidelines for judicial and probation officers; the work product has been posted to the YJOC website and paper copies were distributed at a recent juvenile judges conference.

The clinical process subgroup is continuing to draft proposals to standardize diagnostic definitions and evaluation guidance for providers; those proposals have been discussed by the larger work group but are not finalized. The behavioral health group also recommended developing practical guidance on telehealth — including legal considerations and best practices — with attention to bandwidth and broadband gaps in rurally served counties.

Members discussed using a heat-map approach to identify counties that are not accessing behavioral-health grant funds or that lack service providers; the map would guide outreach to community mental health centers and help target technical assistance so small counties can develop programs or partner with neighboring counties. Jane noted CJI already hosts a map of funding availability and that research staff are preparing a heat map to reveal gaps.

Chair supplemented the report to say Department of Correction clinicians had presented diagnostic-evaluation workflows at a judges conference, which prompted interest from judges about how intake and diagnostic populations interact. The committee agreed the bench card and related guidance could help align terminology and practice across courts, probation and providers.