The Stepping up Initiative in Nevada county is a collaborative multi-agency effort to reduce the justice involvement of those with behavioral health needs. This is supported by a collaborative workgroup of staff and county leaders. Nevada County has been nationally recognized as a Stepping Up Innovator County for its work to use tools and programs to continue to improve outcomes.
The Stepping Up team members are from:
- Behavioral Health
- District Attorney
- Public Defender
- Probation
- Sheriff’s Office
They explore opportunities for alternatives to incarceration for individuals with mental illness when appropriate including specialized responses, diversion programs requiring supervised mental health treatment, mental health courts and mental health probation caseloads.
Nevada County has been a Stepping Up County since 2016 and an innovator county since 2022.
The Goals
Stepping up is centered on 4 goals for people with behavioral health needs:
- Reduce jail bookings
- Reduce length of stay
- Reduce jail recurrence/recidivism
- Increase access and connections to treatment