NCW Leaders develop strategic plan to address substance abuse, mental health

CHELAN COUNTY — Leaders from Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties recently participated in a one-day workshop aimed at developing a regional strategic plan to address substance use and mental health issues, particularly among individuals within the criminal justice system.

The May 13 workshop, facilitated by Connections Health Solutions and utilizing Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Mapping, helped identify problem areas and gaps in the behavioral health and justice systems. It also aimed to create opportunities for improved coordination and service delivery.

“This workshop is a follow-up to work we have been doing to foster regional collaboration and change,” said Chelan County Commissioner Kevin Overbay. “Our hope is to provide each participating community with the tools to improve services for adults with mental illness and substance use disorders who are in contact with the justice system, in an effort to standardize a continuum of care within our region.”

More than 60 individuals, including agency leaders, frontline staff and those with lived experience from the behavioral health and criminal justice sectors in North Central Washington participated in this joint effort. The SIM Mapping process emphasizes cross-system collaboration to overcome barriers and develop a local action plan.

Participants created a detailed map illustrating the pathways people with behavioral health conditions take through the criminal justice system. This includes initial contact, arrest, incarceration, diversion and access to community-based services. Strategies from other regions were also explored, and these will be evaluated and included in a final report from Connections Health Solutions, expected later this summer. The report, detailing identified gaps and steps for the four counties, will be available on the Chelan County website.

Substance use and mental health disorders, especially opioid use disorder — specifically, fentanyl addiction currently — are significantly prevalent in justice-involved populations nationwide. Around 80 percent of those arrested test positive for drugs, and 63 percent of jail inmates have some kind of substance use disorder. With hundreds of thousands released from prisons and millions from jails annually, linking individuals to care is vital. This can break the cycle of justice involvement and reduce overdose deaths, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

For more information about the NCW regional initiative, contact Chelan County Commissioner Kevin Overbay at Kevin.Overbay@co.chelan.wa.us.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media