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The Stepping Up Initiative

Two million times per year, someone with serious mental illness ends up in jail in the United States - and many of these arrests are for nonviolent offenses.

In counties across the U.S., there are more people with serious mental illness (SMI) in jails than in psychiatric hospitals. The APA Foundation is committed to changing that figure and placing more people with mental health conditions in the healthcare system, where their needs can be met.

The Stepping Up Initiative is a national movement designed to provide counties with the tools they need to develop cross-system, evidence-based strategies that lead to measurable reductions in the number of people with mental illnesses in jails.

  • Stepping Up Together

    Stepping Up was launched in 2015 by the National Association of Counties, the APA Foundation, and The Council of State Governments Justice Center.

  • 580+

    counties have committed to Stepping Up Across the United States

  • Stepping

Want to Learn More?

Visit StepUpTogether.org.

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