APA Foundation Program to Decriminalize SMI Honored

The APA Foundation’s Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI) has been named a winner in the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.

JPLI’s goal is to bring together psychiatrists and judges in an effort to divert and deflect people with serious mental illness (SMI) from incarceration, instead connecting them with treatment. It is an initiative that the APA Foundation (APAF) leads in collaboration with the Justice Center of the Council of State Governments and the National Center for State Courts. JPLI was named a silver winner in the 2023 Anthem Award’s community engagement category for nonprofit organizations.

“JPLI does vital work to improve the lives of people living with SMI,” said Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., CEO and medical director of APA and chair of APAF’s Board of Directors. “Having a mental illness does not make someone a criminal—the individual has an illness that can be treated, just like diabetes or hypertension. The more we spread that message, especially in courtrooms, the more likely it is that our patients will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Central to JPLI’s work is creating connections between judges and psychiatrists. Through trainings, the judges and psychiatrists are able to increase the understanding within the legal system of how mental illnesses present, especially in the courtroom. Frequently, JPLI’s staff conducts train-the-trainer events, during which they train judge-and-psychiatrist teams on how to train those within their own communities to work with people with SMI in the legal system (Psychiatric News, Judges, Psychiatrists Trained to Share Education About MH in Justice System).

“We are incredibly proud of what JPLI has accomplished with the support of the APAF Board of Directors, a growing number of APA members across the country who have embraced JPLI, and over 1,300 judges across 43 states who have come to understand that SMI is not a crime,” said APAF Executive Director Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq. “Together, we can take the first step to decriminalize mental health and promote well-being.”

The Anthem Awards were launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards. The awards’ stated goal is to honor the purpose- and mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. “We’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities,” states the Anthem Awards’ website.

“Serious mental illness is not, and should have never been, a crime, but that is the sad reality that our communities face,” said Christopher Chun-Seeley, APAF’s program director of school and justice initiatives. “With our work to empower judges to use their convening power in their communities and psychiatrists to use their mental health expertise to reclaim our community members from the justice system, we are making an impact to decriminalize mental illness. But there is more work to be done, and we cannot do it alone.”

There are numerous opportunities to get involved with JPLI. It will host three train-the-trainer events: May 17 to 19 in San Francisco, August 12 to 14 in Denver, and October 14 to 16 in Washington, D.C.

Further, at APA’s 2023 Annual Meeting, APAF will present two sessions related to mental health and justice. “Answering the Judges Gavel: Decriminalizing Mental Illness and the National Judicial Mental Health Task Force” will be held on Sunday, May 21, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. “Mental Health Professionals’ Role in the Criminal Justice System: How to Be an Agent of Change” will be held on Sunday, May 21, from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Finally, the JPLI Annual Leadership Summit, during which the winners of the 2023 Judge Stephen S. Goss Memorial Award will be announced, will be held on Thursday, May 18, in San Francisco. For more information about this or other events, email [email protected]. ■