A series of workshops from the Illinois Mental Health Task Force will be examining the availability of mental health resources in the court system.
Administrator Scott Block said they are seeking perspectives from those involved in healthcare, law enforcement and the courts, as well as people with lived experience dealing with mental illness and the criminal justice system.
"We're looking for a diverse group of people who would like to participate, just to share all the different perspectives and experiences and knowledge of how people progress through the criminal justice system," he said.
Black said the goal is to take a wide look at the entire system, including resources available before someone enters the court system, like community mental health resources and whether law enforcement is trained to handle mental health crisis, as well as what options exist to handle mental illness within the courts.
These workshops are open to the public and will be held online. To sign up, visit the task force's website.
