Sequential Intercept Mapping
Stepping Up for Change: Leavenworth County Tackles Mental Illness in Community and Jail
(Leavenworth), Leavenworth County, KS, July 25-26, 2024 -- Leavenworth County participated in a 1.5-day workshop for the development of integrated strategies to effectively identify and respond to the needs of justice-involved adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUD).
Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) facilitated by Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA) in Delmar, New York is a workshop designed to help communities identify existing community resources, service gaps, and opportunities for improved service coordination and communication between mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice professionals. According to Dr. Henry J. Steadman of PRA, “This workshop is intended to foster systemic change and provide each participating community with the tools necessary to move forward to enhance services for adults with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders in contact with the justice system.”
51 individuals including key agency administrators, staff, and peer advocates from the mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice system in Leavenworth County participated in Sequential Intercept Mapping which focused planning efforts on cross-systems collaboration and the reduction of system and service barriers with an integrated, local action plan. Five observers from various agencies across the state were also in attendance.
In preparation for the workshop, a County Planning Committee held conference calls with the facilitators over the course of several months to discuss current practices and potential barriers to systems change. The SIM Pre-Planning Committee is comprised of Community Corrections, The Guidance Center, and the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office. During the workshop, participants developed a map detailing the flow of criminal justice contact from arrest to incarceration, referral and access to services, and points for diversion from the justice system across Leavenworth County. Strategies for systems change implemented by other US communities were considered.
Nationally, individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are an increasing presence within the criminal justice system. Studies have shown that 6.4% of men and 12.2% of women entering U.S. jails have a severe and persistent mental illness, compared to less than 2% of the general population. Of these individuals, 72% have a co-occurring substance use disorder. This problem is especially pronounced in rural communities, where the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of behavioral health services prevent many from receiving the help that they need. With more than 650,000 individuals returning to communities each year from US prisons and seven million individuals returning from jails, effective linkage and access to community services for people with a mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorder is critical to reduce an often-repetitious cycle of justice involvement. As Leavenworth County is in the highest quintile for Opioid Overdose Vulnerability, the intent of the SIM Workshop is to increase public safety and community well-being by improving how all systems collaboratively address mental health and SUD issues that are leading to crime.
Leavenworth County SIM Report (60 pages)
Leavenworth County SIM MAP
