The Natrona County Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Team has created a case manager position to support individuals leaving treatment or incarceration as they re-enter the community. This case manager is an employee of Mercer Family Resource Center with funding provided by the Natrona Collective Health Trust.
The SIM Team began convening in December of 2021 as a project led by Banner Health Wyoming Medical Center and funded by NCHT. The team is made up of local stakeholders representing behavioral health providers, law enforcement, social services, and nonprofit sectors. The team seeks to identify and eliminate mental and behavioral health service gaps in the community. The team meets monthly and is facilitated by NCHT Sr. Program Director Ray Pacheco.
“It’s been a great honor to work with the SIM team to help create systemic change in our community,” Pacheco said. “With the creation of the case manager position, there is a real chance for creating effective resources for individuals coming out of treatment, incarceration, or a crisis situation. While there is much work needed in behavioral health, the SIM team has made a great leap forward with this case manager approach.”
The goal of the case manager program is to assist individuals either in crisis or returning to the community from a crisis situation, treatment, or incarceration. They receive enhanced case management services to connect them with resources and improve the success of their re-entry into the community. Mercer Family Resource Center hired Kristy Oster to fill the position. Oster previously worked for the Wyoming Department of Corrections as a probation and parole agent, field services reentry coordinator and most recently was the District Manager for WDC. She has a degree in criminal justice from UW/CC and a Master of Science in leadership from Grand Canyon University.
“The Natrona County Collective Health Trust has provided all of Natrona County a resource that will assist clients in challenging situations who will be released into our community from treatment or incarceration,” Oster said. ” The creation of shared case planning and clients working collaboratively with local resources will reduce redundant work and financial stress on our local organizations and clients. The position allows for reentry work with an additional focus on bringing new opportunities to Natrona County through collaboration to ensure the needs of our community are being addressed. I look forward to working within Mercer Family Resource Center to create a healthier community.”
In addition to the development of the case management position, the SIM team is currently working on the development of a Coordinated Crisis Response Team to assist first responders with providing appropriate services to individuals suffering a mental health or substance abuse crisis.