Stepping Up program kicks off Jan. 30

Stepping Up Alabama, a program with the goal of decreasing the number of persons with mental illness and substance abuse in jails and hospitals, holds its Kick-Off Meeting Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Demopolis branch of Wallace Community College.

The program sets up partnerships with law enforcement, local governments, mental health and healthcare providers, social service providers, courts and other.

Case manager LaToya Witherspoon said four objectives will be completed at the meeting. The first is to provide a clear directive for behavioral health and criminal justice system administrators to implement the systems-level changes necessary to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jail.

The second will develop a statement of mission, vision and guiding principles for the Task Force.

One of the major items to be met at the meeting is to name a Task Force chairperson. Ideally, she said, the person chosen can be an elected county official or other senior-level policymaker. The chair will hold agencies accountable for implementing the plan and providing routine updates on the progress of the task force.

The Kick Off meeting also will set a shared definition of serious mental illness (SMI) and of substance abuse disorders.

Different definitions of mental illness and SMI are used by agencies, Witherspoon said. It is necessary to adopt a single definition to be used by local behavioral health systems, jail, courts, and community corrections agencies.

The Stepping Up program is under the direction of the West Alabama Mental Health Center. Patricia Moore, director, said the $50,000 grant from the Alabama State Department of Mental Health allowed the agency to hire Witherspoon to develop the program.

For more information, contact the WAMHC at 334-289-2410