Become a Stepping Up Innovator County
The Stepping Up Innovator County network launched in 2018 with seven inaugural counties that could demonstrate they had a process for obtaining and tracking accurate, accessible data on serious mental illness (SMI) in their jails to leverage this baseline data for tracking their Stepping Up goals. In the years since, the number of Innovator counties has grown to more than 50, with counties representing a variety of different geographic sizes and locations.
The Stepping Up initiative recognizes that innovation looks different across counties in the Stepping Up network and that their capacity to engage varies depending on their own circumstances. To provide counties with greater flexibility, Stepping Up is now presenting counties with a choice of three Innovator categories to self-select into through our Innovator County survey:
- Baseline Data Innovators
- Set, Measure, Achieve Innovators
- Peer Mentor Innovators
The participation criteria, expectations, and level of support that counties receive varies across categories. View the categories below to understand the required participation criteria and the support offered for each category. Counties that are interested in becoming Innovator Counties in one or more of the categories can apply, and current Innovators should re-confirm their category or categories on an annual basis.
Please note the following about the categories:
- Counties can apply to become an Innovator in any of the three categories at any time. Current Innovator Counties submit an annual reconfirmation via the recruitment/reconfirmation survey.
- The categories are not ranked.
- Counties can self-select into one, two, or all three of the categories.
- Counties can change their category selection if their circumstances change during the year.
- The Stepping Up team is available for consultation with sites at any time to help them determine which category or categories may be right for them.
The Stepping Up team will reach out after counties complete the survey in case any information is missing or unclear and will confirm the category selection(s) with counties.