Taskforce

On May 25, 2021, Alameda County Board of Supervisors (BOS) unanimously approved a “Care First, Jails Last” Policy Resolution. The CFJL policy affirmed that Alameda County values a comprehensive continuum of care for individuals with mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring disorders rather than incarceration.  It also called for a just and equitable transformation of criminal justice, behavioral health, and wraparound services that reduce the number of people with mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring disorders in Santa Rita Jail.  The time limited CFJL Taskforce was later formed and includes a twenty-five-member body charged with developing a county-wide implementation plan, subject to approval by the BOS. As a new member of the Taskforce we are grateful that you are now part of that process.

Over the next 24 months, the Taskforce will meet to expand upon existing policies to achieve a system that aims to provide treatment and services instead of arrest and jail to those in need in Alameda County. The committee will review data and existing interventions in order to develop plans to achieve this goal in accordance with the CFJL Proclamation.  This newly formed Brown Act covered body will also be informed by the Sequential Intercept Map that was developed through the multi-year Justice Involved Mental Health (JIMH) community planning process.   If you would like to learn more about Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services click here.