The DuPage County Health Department and DuPage Health Coalition recently hosted a workshop to develop integrated strategies to effectively identify and respond to the needs of justice-involved adults with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. Key administrators, staff, and advocates from mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice agencies participated in Sequential Intercept Mapping on July 25 and 26, to reduce system and service barriers for individuals with mental illness with an integrated, local action plan.
“Individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are an increasing presence within the criminal justice system in DuPage County and the United States,” said Health Department Executive Director Karen Ayala. “This workshop was designed to bring changes in the system by providing the tools necessary to enhance services for adults with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders in contact with the justice system.”
Studies have shown that 6.4 percent of men and 12.2 percent of women entering U.S. jails have a severe and persistent mental illness, compared to less than 2 percent of the general population. More than 70 percent of these individuals have a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Workshop participants worked on a plan that details the flow of criminal justice contact from arrest to incarceration, referral and access to services, and points for diversion from the justice system across DuPage County.
For more information, visit impactdupage.org
