The criminalization of people with substance use and mental health challenges has resulted in devastating consequences for individuals, families and communities.
It is estimated that nearly 66% of people incarcerated in jails and 50% of people in prisons have had a mental health challenge, and approximately 60% of people in jails and prisons have substance use challenges. Here you will find a central hub for all of the National Council’s efforts to improve outcomes for criminal justice system–involved individuals with mental health and substance use challenges.
Opportunities exist across the continuum of criminal legal system involvement to improve the health of people with mental health and substance use challenges. Using the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) as an overall framework is one way to identify these opportunities.
Use the sidebar navigation to explore each intercept page for more detailed information, resources and initiatives specifically related to each intercept.
The National Council works collaboratively with multidisciplinary stakeholders to develop a collection of national resources to increase the adoption of evidence-based practices and strategies to improve the care and outcomes for people with mental health and substance use challenges at risk of criminal legal system involvement. Check out our most recent work in this space.
From police departments to courts of law, the CCBHC model provides a mechanism to coordinate, deliver – and often pay for – mental health and substance use services for justice-involved persons.
Learn moreCheck out more work we are doing at each intercept across the SIM using the sidebar navigation.
Another key effort the National Council has undertaken to improve the care and outcomes for people with mental health and substance use challenges is the creation of Core Competencies for professionals and organizations. These competencies were developed with input from key stakeholders across the country and can be utilized by staff across the SIM to facilitate enhanced outcomes. Understanding and implementing these core competencies into policies, procedures and staff training programs can greatly enhance and improve outcomes for criminal justice system–involved individuals with mental health and substance use challenges.
Many of these competencies are necessary across the entire SIM; however, some are relevant only at some of the intercepts (for example, some competencies for crisis centers at intercept 0 may not be relevant for jails and prisons at later intercepts). The competencies therefore are organized by categories and cross-walked with the SIM for ease of use and to ensure that users can easily access the most relevant information. The National Council encourages all staff serving these populations to review this page and the included resources as well as the intercept pages across the SIM (these pages can be viewed by navigation on your sidebar).
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) can be a powerful model and tool for improving outcomes for criminal justice–involved individuals with mental health and substance use challenges. Learn how CCBHCs work to improve outcomes at each intercept across the SIM.