The launch of the Systems Mapping and Training Center (SMTC) by Policy Research marks an exciting step toward empowering communities to achieve meaningful social change for individuals with behavioral health conditions. By fostering best and promising practices within critical systems and bridging gaps between them and the populations they serve through specialized training and mapping, the SMTC enables sustainable, data-driven solutions—read on to learn how.
What is the Systems Mapping and Training Center?
The SMTC is a new initiative by Policy Research that provides specialized mapping and training services to system decision-makers and professionals. It aims to help communities create lasting social change for individuals with behavioral health conditions by improving practices and cross-system collaboration in areas such as the criminal-legal system, homelessness, and Veterans services.
How does the SMTC facilitate lasting social change?
The SMTC employs a data-driven public health approach to systems mapping, engaging community members and professionals in collaborative processes to identify gaps, strengths, and opportunities. By pinpointing these strategic intercepts and incorporating them in supported strategic planning, communities can create robust, person-centered solutions. Additionally, targeted trainings empower local professionals either to train others or directly enhance their own community services.
Why is addressing behavioral health through systems mapping and training important?
Addressing behavioral health challenges effectively requires coordination among multiple systems, including the criminal legal system, housing, and healthcare. Fragmented systems often overlook crucial support opportunities, leading to poorer outcomes. Systems mapping and training breaks down these silos, fostering solutions that are holistic, collaborative, and sustainable.
What experience do SMTC facilitators and trainers bring?
SMTC’s team of expert facilitators and trainers draw from Policy Research’s over 35 years of experience. They’ve conducted mapping and training in over 400 diverse communities, spanning urban, suburban, rural, and frontier settings.
What services does the SMTC offer and what topics do they address?
SMTC services cover a wide array of critical topics, including:
- Competence to Stand Trial Mapping Workshop: Reducing waitlists and hospitalization or incarceration lengths for people facing criminal charges who may be found not competent to stand trial.
- Crisis Intercept Mapping Workshop for Service Members and Veterans: Strengthening suicide prevention and crisis response for service members and Veterans.
- Homelessness Response System Mapping Workshop: Improving community-based responses to homelessness.
- How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses (and its Train-the-Trainer version): Training criminal legal system and court professionals to understand and address trauma effectively.
- Sequential Intercept Model Mapping Workshop (and the SIM facilitator training): Enhancing community responses to behavioral health conditions among people involved in or at risk of involvement in the criminal legal system.
- Summit Strategic Planning Workshop: Collaborating regionally or statewide to identify resources, avoid duplications, and address systems gaps.
How can I learn more about the SMTC or bring its services to my community?
Visit the Systems Mapping and Training Center’s website to explore detailed explanations of systems mapping processes. Interested communities can reach out directly via the SMTC website to initiate strategic planning tailored to their unique needs.
This blog post was developed with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence.