Oneida County Selected for Workshop to Address Substance Use

County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announced today that the Oneida County Department of Mental Health has been selected to receive a workshop from a federal agency that will assist in developing a comprehensive community-wide strategy for addressing substance use.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded a Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Mapping Workshop to Oneida County last month as part of a nation-wide competition.

“This opportunity will allow Oneida County and its many valued partners to better identify and respond to the needs of adults struggling with substance use disorders, particularly when it comes to the criminal justice system,” Picente said. “We continue to take a holistic approach to addressing this difficult issue and will always be on the forefront of innovative treatment options.”

The SIM Mapping Workshop will be a day and a half event that is expected to take place in the summer of 2024. It will focus on identifying and treating individuals with substance use disorders across all of the sequential intercepts, including screening and assessment; diverting individuals out of the criminal justice system and into appropriate community-based treatment programs; access to medications for Opioid Use Disorder and maintaining continuity of care through transitions in and out of custody.

Oneida County partners from criminal justice and behavioral health organizations; emergency services; crisis services; law enforcement and other first responders; hospitals; corrections; specialty treatment courts; re-entry services; probation; parole and community-based behavioral health treatment providers will be participating in the workshop in an effort to reduce recidivism, enhance community safety and improve the lives of residents. 

“This workshop will both identify the services that already exist within our community, and work to enhance the connections to them in an effort to assist individuals seeking recovery for their substance use and/or criminal justice involvement,” said Ashlee Thompson, Oneida County Commissioner of Mental Health. “We hope to see positive outcomes from this opportunity, specifically diverting individuals from the criminal justice system and into appropriate community-based treatment programs.”