Mecklenburg County has been selected as one of 12 counties nationwide to participate in a pilot program aimed at strengthening coordination between local criminal justice systems and behavioral health services.
Counties Aligning Health and Safety Initiative
The pilot project, titled «Counties Aligning Health & Safety», places Mecklenburg alongside Wake County as the two North Carolina representatives in the national cohort. A total of 12 counties across nine states were chosen for the program.
The initiative is led by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center. Collaborating national organizations include the National Association of Counties, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. Funding for the pilot is provided by Arnold Ventures.
The initiative aims to improve how local criminal justice systems respond to people with behavioral health needs by bringing together national experts and local leaders to analyze how behavioral health services and justice agencies collaborate.
Mecklenburg County Department Oversees Project Coordination
Locally, the Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services department will oversee and coordinate the project. The department will work alongside national experts and community partners to examine operational overlaps between behavioral health services and the penal system.
Participating jurisdictions will receive technical assistance, research-backed resources, and opportunities to study approaches used in other regions. The goal is to equip local leaders with data-driven frameworks for handling behavioral health needs at various stages of judicial proceedings.
The program also seeks to review how behavioral health services connect with the criminal justice system and identify opportunities to improve that coordination. Participants will draw on experiences from other jurisdictions facing similar challenges, allowing Mecklenburg to exchange practices with counties across the country and explore approaches addressing local needs.
“Participating in this initiative gives us the opportunity to analyze more closely how our systems collaborate and in what areas we can make improvements,” said Sonya Harper, director of Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services. Harper added that the collaboration allows local agencies to identify practical approaches for responding to individuals interacting with the legal system.
| Project Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initiative Name | Counties Aligning Health & Safety |
| Lead Organization | CSG Justice Center |
| North Carolina Participants | Mecklenburg County and Wake County |
| Local Overseer | Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services |
| Primary Funder | Arnold Ventures |
Next Steps for the Pilot Program
As the initiative moves forward, Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services will coordinate the program, working with national experts and utilizing the research-based resources provided. Additional information regarding the project trajectory can be found through the official CSG Justice Center Aligning Health & Safety web portal.
