The American Psychiatric Association Foundation has produced a new resource to help mental health professionals better support community members facing mental health challenges, Mental Health Professionals Guide to Their Role in the Criminal Justice System: A Quick Reference Pocket Guide for Mental Health Professionals. The resource is the culmination of work from a collaboration of psychiatrists and justice leaders.

Community members with serious mental illnesses become entangled in the criminal justice system far too often. Once there, these individuals can suffer more harm and be retraumatized by spending more time in the pretrial stage. As a mental health professional, you have an important role in supporting these individuals and ensuring they continue to receive treatment and stay connected to services.

The Guide includes an overview of the criminal justice system and specific roles mental health professionals can play in supporting community members at different stages of the system. We want to provide everyone that reads this guide with the tools necessary to reclaim your community members from the criminal justice system.