Revising the paradigm for jail diversion for people with mental and substance use disorders: Intercept 0

A conceptual model for community-based strategic planning to address the criminalization of adults with mental and substance use disorders, the Sequential Intercept Model has provided jurisdictions with a framework that overcomes traditional boundaries between the agencies within the criminal justice and behavioral health systems. This article presents a new paradigm, Intercept 0, for expanding the utility of the Sequential Intercept Model at the front end of the criminal justice system. Intercept 0 encompasses the early intervention points for people with mental and substance use disorders before they are placed under arrest by law enforcement. The addition of Intercept 0 creates a conceptual space that enables stakeholders from the mental health, substance use, and criminal justice systems to consider the full spectrum of real-world interactions experienced by people with mental and substance use disorders with regard to their trajectories, or lack thereof, through the criminal justice system.