Resources - NACo - Familiar Faces Initiative

Familiar Faces Initiative Playbook

The Playbook is designed to help guide the development of a multi-system strategy to successfully divert frequent utilizers, when appropriate, away from the criminal justice and emergency health systems and…

Point-of-Service Information Sharing Between Justice and Behavioral Health Partners

Information sharing across behavioral health and criminal justice systems is critical to reducing the number of people with mental and substance use disorders in jails. At the point of service,…

Data Sharing Agreement: An Example from Colorado

This Data Sharing and License Agreement stands between the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and a Continuum of Care (CoC) agency. In this document, the Colorado Department…

Business Associate Agreement: An Example from Connecticut

This Business Associate Agreement (BAA) stands between the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH). In this example, the CCEH serves as the…

Homelessness and Health Data Sharing: Why and How Communities Are Sharing Data to Improve Outcomes for People Experiencing Homelessness

In light of growing recognition of the correlation between homelessness and high utilization of emergency services, communities are beginning to share and match data between housing and health care agencies.…

Familiar Faces Initiative: Model Jurisdictions for Improving Health outcomes Through Coordinated Health and Justice Systems

In 2022, NACo relaunched the Familiar Faces Initiative during Mental Health Awareness Month to support counties and cities in better meeting the needs of their familiar faces—individuals with complex health…

County Strategies to Provide Supportive Housing for Familiar Faces

What does it take to house and support familiar faces? Familiar faces are individuals who frequently cycle through jails, homeless shelters, emergency departments and other crisis services. Familiar faces often…

County Strategies to Recruit and Retain a Strong Behavioral Health Workforce

Counties are developing innovative solutions in response to behavioral health workforce shortages across the country. As qualified behavioral health workers seek employment in the private sector or different professions altogether,…

Case Study: Orange County, Calif.

Orange County is a Familiar Faces Initiative (FFI) Peer-Learning Site modeling effective cross-sector data sharing and familiar faces programming for the FFI community. In 2017, Orange County faced growing number…

Case Study: Johnson County, Kan.

Johnson County is a Familiar Faces Initiative (FFI) Peer-Learning Site that models effective cross-sector data sharing and familiar faces programming to divert residents with behavioral health conditions from jail to…

Case Study: Adams County, Colo.

Adams County encompasses the northeast suburban area of Denver, Colo. The county’s proximity to a large metropolitan area leads to highly transient populations, especially individuals experiencing homelessness. Many of these…

Familiar Faces Leadership Network Profiles

The Familiar Faces Leadership Network is a cohort of 13 elected officials. Over the next year, the Leadership Network will participate in peer exchanges, technical assistance and other learning opportunities…