Policy Research has launched the Systems Mapping and Training Center (SMTC), a technical assistance hub designed to help communities nationwide transform local service provision and improve outcomes.

What it is: Through collaborative, data-driven systems mapping and targeted training, the SMTC empowers local decision-makers across a wide range of fields, including behavioral health, the criminal legal system, homelessness, and Veterans services. Led by Vice President Travis Parker, the initiative leverages over 35 years of Policy Research’s expertise, bringing communities together to pinpoint gaps and change them into strategic solutions.

Why it matters: The SMTC offers tools to address pressing community challenges. By fostering cross-system collaboration, the SMTC positions localities to better support individuals with behavioral health conditions and enhance overall public health outcomes. With specialized offerings tailored to local populations and service landscapes, the SMTC is uniquely poised to catalyze positive change and lasting improvements in community well-being and safety.

What is offered: The SMTC offers systems mapping events and trainings. These systems mappings and trainings are collaborative processes that use a public health approach to create transformative systems change.

Systems Mapping Events

Systems mapping is essential for communities looking to break down siloes and build collaborative partnerships. During a systems mapping event, participants create a map of their local networks. The map identifies existing resources, highlighting areas of need and opportunities for partnership. When agencies and institutions have a complete picture of how they interact with one another, they can work together to center their focus on and align services for the people they serve.

The SMTC is proud to offer the following systems mapping events:

  • Competence to Stand Trial Mapping Workshops: Strengthen a community’s ability to reduce competence restoration waitlists and shorten individuals’ stays in hospitals or jails by identifying system improvements.

  • Crisis Intercept Mapping Workshops for Service Members, Veterans, and their Families: Strengthen a community’s capacity to deliver effective suicide prevention, crisis response, and postvention services for service members and Veterans.

  • Homelessness Response Systems Mapping Workshops: Strengthen a community’s ability to identify community-based responses to homelessness through targeted steps at critical intersections.

  • Sequential Intercept Model Mapping Workshops: Strengthen a community’s ability to respond to the involvement of people with behavioral health conditions in the criminal legal system.

  • Summit Strategic Planning Workshops: Strengthen a region or state’s ability to collaboratively identify resources, duplications, and gaps in its systems.

Trainings

Trainings help partners use the same language, center on the same goals, and work together toward system transformation. When conducting a training, experts from the Systems Mapping and Training Center bring people together to work through a curriculum. Key information within a training is customized to a community’s needs. Trainings are developed using adult-learning best practices. Time is always provided for group participation and discussion. With these trainings, participants can either go on to train other trainers or use the training to enhance their own work.

The SMTC is proud to offer the following trainings:

  • How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice Responses: Strengthens criminal legal professionals’ understanding of trauma and its impact, enhancing their ability to develop and implement trauma-informed responses.

  • How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses Train-the-Trainer: Teaches experienced trainers how to deliver our How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses curriculum.

  • How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Judicial Decision-Making: Strengthens court professionals’ understanding of trauma and its impact, enhancing their ability to develop and implement trauma-informed responses in a court setting.

  • Sequential Intercept Model Facilitator Training: Teaches experienced facilitators how to deliver a Sequential Intercept Model Mapping Workshop in their community and integrate local expertise.

Learn more about our services and see their potential impact on your community!

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