The Michigan Supreme Court, with support from the National Center for State Courts, is launching a series of community‐based behavioral health workshops across the state during May and June, according to a news release. The sessions will use the Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) model to help identify how individuals with mental health and substance use needs enter and move through the criminal justice system. Hosted by local judges, the workshops will convene stakeholders from law enforcement, courts, health systems and community organizations to assess gaps, identify resources and develop strategies to divert individuals into treatment rather than deeper involvement in the justice system and to reduce recidivism. Participants are expected to include representatives from jails, corrections, hospitals, mental health agencies and prosecutors, as well as schools, shelters and other community‐based providers. The SIM process examines key “intercepts,” ranging from crisis response and law enforcement contact to courts, detention and reentry, with the goal of improving coordination across systems and strengthening community‐based responses. Officials said the mapping process also helps communities identify service gaps and prioritize strategies to connect individuals with appropriate care while enhancing public safety.
Valerie A. Canady (Fri,) studied this question.