Ecosystems in Action

The service gaps that currently cause high recidivation rates, particularly for populations requiring mental health and substance abuse services, are primarily due to the inability to establish durable, proactive linkages between offenders on probation and community service providers.

The intersection of unprecedented need, shrinking resources, and a fragmented systems of care is causing veterans and their families to suffer while putting even more pressure on state and local governments to deal with the problem at the least efficient and most costly place—the criminal justice system.

The prevailing tendency in today’s healthcare system is to treat medical and behavioral health conditions, including mental health and substance use disorders, as if they occur in different domains, rather than within the same person. Nationally, effective integration of medical and behavioral care could save $26-$48 billion annually in general healthcare costs.