Douglas County selected by SAMHSA's GAINS Center to participate in workshop for addressing behavioral health needs

Douglas County has been selected by SAMHSA’s GAINS Center to participate in a Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) workshop that will result in a community-wide strategic plan for addressing behavioral health needs for those involved or at risk for involvement in the criminal justice system. The workshop also will help the community establish priorities for change and produce a local systems map.

According to Matthew Robbins, training coordinator at SAMHSA’s GAINS Center, the application process was competitive. They received 50 applications and selected 10 award recipients, which included Douglas County.

The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council’s Stepping Up work group will oversee the one-and-a-half-day workshop that will be held this summer in Douglas County. Stepping Up work group members represent agencies that include: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence Police Department, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, DCCCA, LMH Health, Douglas County Criminal Justice Services, Douglas County District Attorney's Office and the 7th Judicial District.

During the SIM workshop, the work group will examine resources and opportunities for identifying individuals with behavioral health needs and for diverting them out of the criminal justice system and into appropriate community-based treatment programs. The work group also will identify critical gaps in the system and discuss opportunities for improvement. They will then determine areas where immediate action would result in a more cohesive, integrated approach to service delivery.

On the second day of the workshop, the work group will set priorities for change. Throughout the process, GAINS Center staff will provide examples of successful and promising strategic plans from across the country.

“Completing a Sequential Intercept Mapping has been a desire of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for a couple of years,” said Mike Brouwer, Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinator. “We are very excited to work with the GAINS Center to not only complete the mapping, but also to develop a strategic plan to address barriers.”

The GAINS Center will cover all costs related to the workshop, including planning and coordination, facilitator time and travel, data collection and analysis, and report development.