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The 26 policy statements and recommendations outlined by the Council of State Government's Criminal JusticelMental Health Project were also brought to the JICC. These recommendations were the result of a major, national two year study that involved experts and program administrators in all relevant areas from across the nation. This is the guide for implementation of effective diversion strategies that seek to reduce the number of people with mental illness in our jails and prisons. Its recommendations have been incorporated into Cass County's project from the very beginning. The Council of State Governments has been selected by the Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide the technical assistance to grant awardees, including Cass County. Based upon research brought for discussion, the JICC considered whether a court-based or jail-based program would be best for Cass County, if we should focus first on pre- booking or post-booking diversion, what types of offenses and mental illnesses would meet selection criteria, and we considered the GAINS Sequential Intercept Model. We discussed CrT (Crisis Intervention Team) for law enforcement officers - a pre-booking strategy - and determined it would be part of Phase Two of our project. Whenever talking about CrT, I stress that fidelity to the model (incorporating all components) is necessary in order to realize the types of outcomes desired. Through my work with the JICC, r demonstrated the ability to collaborate to coordinate a mental health project. I crafted and delivered oral testimony to North Dakota's Alternatives to Incarceration Committee on behalf of the JICC, detailing the project. Based upon the credibility of the key JICC participants, our well-thought out project, and our presentation, they voted unanimously to recommend that the Governor provide funding for the project in his upcoming budget. As part of the coordinator role, I also met with and secured support from North Dakota's Supreme Court Justice VandeWalle, presiding Judge Dawson, and States Attorney Burdick's staff, as well as others. This was helpful when obtaining support letters, and signatures for our memorandum of understanding. Through efforts of JICC members and the Cass County jail, opportunities for early intervention have been already increased through implementation of enhanced screening tools. Communication between the Fargo PD and the regional Human Service Center have improved when dealing with a person with mental illness. And, the new grant funds will ensure the jail's ability to identify potential participants for diversion through assessments conducted by the newly created Mental Health Coordinator position at the jail. My knowledge of this project has been demonstrated by creating the deferred imposition of sentence flow chart for the project, writing and delivering informative testimony to legislators, and by writing, in large part, the narrative section of the grant proposal that Cass County submitted. In addition to a comprehensive knowledge ofthis initiative and how grant dollars are to be appropriated, I'm aware of the items that did not make it onto the budget, and the challenges those may present. 5