Bridging the Legal and Clinical Interface for Justice Involved Individuals with SMI-View Presentation Slides

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The 2025 American Psychiatric Association hosted a webinar titled "Bridging the Legal and Clinical Interface for Justice Involved Individuals with SMI," focusing on individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) involved in the justice system. The session offered Continuing Education credits for physicians, psychologists, and social workers. The presentation aimed to equip participants with knowledge about common legal and clinical issues, such as arrest, detention, and community release, particularly highlighting how these issues intersect for persons with SMI.<br /><br />Dr. Debra A. Pinals, an expert in psychiatry, law, and ethics, led the presentation, which also featured a discussion on the absence of conflicts of interest regarding this subject. Participants learned about the multidisciplinary approaches required for managing cases involving SMI individuals, with an emphasis on legal issues surrounding arrest, custody, bail, and specialty court services like mental health and drug courts. These specialty courts aim to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for those involved in the justice system by offering a judicially-supervised treatment plan.<br /><br />Additional topics included criminogenic risk factors and their assessments, underlining the importance of integrated treatment and supervision strategies for individuals with mental illness. Privacy laws, particularly HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, were discussed to highlight their impact on communication barriers in the intersection of mental health and criminal justice systems.<br /><br />The session underscored the need for balance between public safety and care continuity for individuals with SMI, noting their heightened risk for justice system involvement, exacerbated by factors like homelessness and substance use challenges. It concluded with relevant case studies to illustrate practical legal and clinical considerations, and provided resources and methodologies for managing such cases. Upcoming educational events on related topics were also announced.

Keywords

American Psychiatric Association

severe mental illness

justice system

Continuing Education

Dr. Debra A. Pinals

multidisciplinary approaches

specialty courts

criminogenic risk factors

privacy laws

public safety