Sequential Intercept Mapping

The image depicts a large conference room filled with attendees listening attentively to a workshop on Sequential Intercept Mapping. On a projector screen at the front of the room, a Texas Health and Human Services PowerPoint slide is displayed. The slide reads "Sequential Intercept Mapping" at the top, and "Day 2: Taking Action for Change" in the center. A speaker is leading the workshop and can be seen holding a microphone, engaging with the audience. The participants in the crowd are actively listening and taking notes.
The Model

The Sequential Intercept Model

 The TA Center facilitates local Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) mapping workshops that bring together community leaders and officials from different agencies and systems to find ways to help people with mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities get treatment instead of being arrested or incarcerated. The day-and-a-half workshops consider community resources and identify strengths and gaps at each step to develop local strategic action plans.

The development of the SIM and its application as a strategic planning tool was supported by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institute of Mental Health to help detail how people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders come into contact with and move through the justice system. For Texas communities, the TA Center adapted the SIM to reflect the Texas behavioral health system, criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. 

Workshop facilitators assist attendees in:

  • Plot resources and gaps across the SIM.

  • Identify local services to support diversion from the criminal justice and juvenile justice system.

  • Introduce community system leaders and staff to evidence-based practices and emerging best practices related to each intercept.

  • Enhance relationships across systems and agencies.

  • Create a customized local map and action plan to address gaps.

These visual displays represent the Sequential Intercept Model, from Intercept 0 to Intercept 5, in the order of is Community Service, Law Enforcement, Initial Court Hearings and Initial Detention, Jails/Courts, ReEntry, and Community Corrections. The left graphic displays the SAMHSA’s GAINS Center map which contains each intercept listed down the column on the right hand side and a breakdown of each intercept by processes and programs to the left, each color coordinated.
Intercept 0, Community Services, is in yellow and has a vector outline of two hands in a handshake, and the overall shape representing a heart.
Intercept 0
Community Services
Intercept 1, Law Enforcement, is in orange and contains a vector outline of a shield with a simple five-point star in the middle
Intercept 1
Law Enforcement
Intercept 2, Initial Court Hearings and Initial Detention, is in blue and contains a vector outline of a judge’s gavel
Intercept 2
Initial Court Hearings & Initial Detention
Intercept 3, Jails and Courts, is in purple and features a vector outline of a pillared building, such as the Supreme Court.
Intercept 3
Jails & Courts
Intercept 4, ReEntry, is categorized by a blue-green and contains a vector outline of a person with a tie and collared shirt on.
Intercept 4
ReEntry
Intercept 5, Community Corrections, is in a light green and features a vector outline of a magnifying glass.
Intercept 5
Community Corrections

The TA Center developed resources, templates, and tools to support behavioral health and justice system planning in communities across Texas. The Texas Behavioral Health and Justice System Strategic Planning Resource Guide provides an overview of these resources, including:

  • An outline of strategies and frameworks to support behavioral health and justice systems planning;

  • An overview of the Texas Adult and Youth Sequential Intercept Models and how to use each as a strategic planning tool; and,

  • An orientation to online planning resources

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SIM Maps Across Texas

Sequential Intercept Model Map

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Testimonials

What Our Clients Are Saying

SIM mapping has meaningfully engaged elected officials, law enforcement and justice leaders for the common purpose of identifying the gaps within the points of interface between the criminal justice and the mental health systems in our communities. By offering an open door through the SIM mapping, we have experienced invaluable conversations, healing of wounds between agencies, insights into common pressure points deserving a collaborative response, and strategic planning opportunities alongside the powerhouses of our communities.”
  • Andrea Richardson
  • Executive Director
  • Bluebonnet Trails Community Services
SIM mapping brought many agencies to the table to discuss critical needs in our city and surrounding counties. A major accomplishment of our local relationships was the development and implementation of the Community Response Team (CRT). This partnership between the Betty Hardwick Center and the Abilene Police and Fire departments has improved crisis response, prevention and intervention services in our area. One team quickly expanded to two full-time teams. The CRT has served to build bridges and fill gaps for individuals needing mental health assistance and has strengthened relationships between many partnering agencies.”
  • Jennifer Farrar
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Betty Hardwick Center