JCMH Staff and Executive Committee

Our Mission

The mission of the Judicial Commission on Mental Health is to engage and empower court systems through collaboration, education, and leadership, thereby improving the lives of individuals with mental health needs, substance use disorders, or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Apply for a Youth SIM Mapping in 2025!

A Sequential Intercept Model mapping is a workshop to develop a map illustrating how people with behavioral health needs move through the criminal justice system. The workshop allows participants to identify opportunities for collaboration to prevent further involvement with the criminal justice or juvenile justice system.

The JCMH will provide Youth SIM Mapping Workshops free of charge to selected communities in 2025. There are no fees for registration, tuition, or materials associated with the workshops. The JCMH will cover all costs associated with workshop planning and coordination, facilitator time, analysis, and report development.

Youth SIM Application

The 7th annual event was a success!

2024 Judicial Summit on Mental Health

Nearly 1,200 people attended the 2024 Judicial Summit on Mental Health either online or in person at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center in Allen, Texas. The one and a half-day conference attracted registrants who work in all 254 Texas counties. Additionally, we had registrants from all 39 local mental health authorities (LMHAs) and local behavioral health authorities (LBHAs).

This year, we had so many great speakers we wanted to feature that we broke Thursday afternoon into three breakout sessions. Each session had seven options for presentation topics - meaning attendees got to choose from 21 different presentations.

Thank you to all who joined us in person or online and to the many contributors who made it possible. We hope to see you for our 8th Annual Summit in 2024!

County Mental Health Law Plan

The laws relating to persons with mental illness or intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) are complex and span several different codes affecting multiple, diverse stakeholders. For this reason, the JCMH created the County Mental Health Law Plan (CMHLP) program. The CMHLP is a JCMH pilot program that offers technical assistance, tools, and resources including a checklist and template to support eight counties in their work to create a County Mental Health Law Plan over a six-month period. The goals of the pilot are to determine if creating such a plan encourages discussions that add collaboration, efficiency, cost-savings, and accountability to county mental health law systems.

Watch the recap video

Reimagining Justice Podcast

The Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health brings you an inside look at the individuals working to improve the lives of those at the intersection of mental health and justice in our state. We sit down with Texas mental health stakeholders and delve into their personal stories, experiences, and insights in the field. Listen in as we highlight their work and initiatives aimed at advancing mental health support and addressing the challenges in the criminal justice system.

Listen to all episodes here!