'Too much money is going into correctional costs for people with untreated mental illness'

For nearly 20 years, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Steven Leifman has coordinated the work of state and local agencies in diverting mentally ill people from the jail system and getting them into comprehensive residential and outpatient recovery services. He was a top contender for the new HHS assistant secretary position in charge of mental health and substance abuse policy. In an interview with Modern Healthcare senior reporter Harris Meyer, Leifman described the structural reforms he believes are needed in mental healthcare and what the federal government must do to achieve those improvements. The following is an edited transcript.