Introduction to the ASAM Criteria, Fourth Edition: Enhancing Treatment Planning in Justice Settings
Presenter: Nisha Wilson, L.P.C.; Julie Seitz, L.A.D.C., L.G.S.W., M.S.W.
September 8, 2026 | 12:00 PM EST | 75 minutes

Session Description
This session introduces the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) as a powerful framework for guiding community and system-level responses to justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders. Participants will explore how the SIM identifies key points (“intercepts”) where effective interventions can divert individuals from deeper system involvement and connect them to treatment and recovery support.
Emphasis will be placed on the role of treatment courts as a critical intercept and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration across legal and clinical systems.
Attendees will also learn how to enhance recovery outcomes by integrating peer support, family involvement, and community-based resources throughout the justice process.

Learning Objectives
1. Describe the SIM and explain how it applies to justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders at various stages of the justice system.
2. Identify the role of treatment courts within the SIM framework and discuss how collaborative, recovery-oriented approaches support diversion and rehabilitation.
3. Apply strategies to build interdisciplinary partnerships and incorporate recovery support services to enhance long-term outcomes for individuals involved in both the treatment and legal systems.

Julie Seitz, L.A.D.C., L.G.S.W., M.S.W.
Julie Seitz is a project director with Impaired Driving Solutions, a division of All Rise, providing national training and technical assistance to treatment courts and justice-system partners. With more than 25 years of experience, her work spans clinical practice, community-based program development, and systems transformation. Ms. Seitz is an adjunct social work faculty member at The College of St. Scholastica and an editor and contributor with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), supporting national guidance related to the ASAM Criteria and evidence-based clinical standards. She is a frequent national and international presenter and is known for helping systems move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches toward individualized, measurable, and effective practice.

Nisha Wilson, L.P.C.
Nisha Wilson is the director of the Center for Advancing Justice, a division of All Rise. Prior to joining All Rise, she worked for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for 20 years in positions including deputy commissioner of treatment and recovery, director of criminal justice services, and director of specialty courts. She has a wealth of experience developing new programs at different stages of the justice system, including a statewide risk/need assessment to support evidence-based sentencing, civil diversion programs, jail-based behavioral health assessments, reentry services, and more. She is passionate about bridging the gap between research and practice and is focused on implementing evidence-based practices that bring successful outcomes. Nisha received a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and master’s degree in counseling psychology from Northeastern State University. She is a licensed professional counselor and served as a board member for the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure from 2014-2022.