Apply Now to Join the Stepping Up to Advance Racial Equity Community of Practice

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center is hosting a virtual Community of Practice (CoP) focused on advancing racial equity for people with behavioral health needs who are in the criminal justice system. Following the Stepping Up “Six Questions” blueprint and the forthcoming brief “Applying the Stepping Up Framework to Advance Racial Equity,” this opportunity will guide counties through concrete steps to make progress toward racial equity.
 
Counties that implement the Stepping Up framework are well-positioned to work toward racial equity in their local behavioral health and criminal justice systems. This CoP will support counties in applying the tools they already have in place to “start small” in building policies, programs, and practices that increase racial equity and break down structural racism inherent in our justice system.
 
Data tracking and analysis fundamentally drive this work, building on the Stepping Up four key measures and the methodology of Set, Measure, Achieve. This CoP will cover bringing diverse representation to the table; drilling down in data; identifying where inequities occur; objectively reviewing programs, policies, and practices that have the potential to introduce human bias; and applying corrective actions.

CSG Justice Center staff will co-lead the Community of Practice with racial equity experts from the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP) and will feature presentations from Stepping Up counties. Participants will have opportunities for peer learning and dialogue and will receive guidance on how to adapt these guidelines to advance racial equity in their own jurisdictions.

Upon completion of the CoP, participating teams will be equipped with strategies they can use in their own communities to address racial equity through the Stepping Up framework. They will also have the tools to make and sustain systems improvements and track progress toward racial equity.