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Increasing Collaboration Between Corrections and Mental Health Organizations: Orange County Case Study

The use of the Mental Health Pretrial Release Program (MHPTR) by the Orange County Jail, in order to identify those individuals with mental illness who can be safely supervised in the community prior to their trials, is discussed. Seven sections comprising this case study are: introduction; summary of initiatives; first steps -- 1999-2004; beyond the Central Receiving Center -- 2004-2006; assessing the impact of new initiatives; looking ahead -- challenges; and dimensions of collaboration. Successful completion of the MHPTR program results in a 17% reduction in costs over 18 months.