East Texas law enforcement representatives, mental health specialists gather to discuss mental health needs within criminal justice system

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The third quarterly SIM initiative meeting was hosted today at the Andrews Center in Tyler, where local law enforcement officials and mental health professionals are addressing the issues and connections between over-crowded jails and inadequate mental health care.

SIM stands for Sequential Intercept Model, which illustrates the key points of contact between behavioral health needs and the criminal justice system.

Chief SIM Officer Keisha Morris led the inter-agency meeting, along with Smith County Judge Neal Franklin and regional law enforcement officials.

“A lot of the people you saw in the room today were there because we’ve already touched on those programs. They didn’t just show up out of the blue,” she said. “We’ve been working with these folks over the last six months and digging and plowing away at handling problems.”

In Thursday’s meeting, Senate Bill 2479* was summarized by a Smith County District Attorney. It will become law on Sept. 1.

The new law aims to clarify parts in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and the Texas Health and Safety Code – specifically those related to the assessment and treatment of offenders who have mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities.

“We’re working together, and we’re working hard to improve the mental health delivery service. We really want to make a difference there for our citizens,” said Judge Franklin.

The hope is that these meetings will help to build better relationships between those who work with people who have mental illnesses, bridging the gaps between the justice system and health care professionals for the benefit of those in need.

The next and final meeting of 2023 will take place in November and will focus on how to help homeless and mentally ill veterans in the community.

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