Abstract
With increasing societal awareness about the adverse impacts of poor mental health on individual and community well-being, there has been a proliferation of scholarship on the need for criminal justice practices that are informed by evidence-based behavioral health. The primary focus of this work examines the need for incorporating evidence-based practices in law enforcement responses to vulnerable groups, such as individuals experiencing mental illness or substance use disorders. A lesser focus of the literature has examined the effects of poor behavioral health among criminal justice workers themselves—despite an increased concern to address such issues, both to protect the health and wellbeing of workers as well as the performance and functioning of agencies.
