2004 TCE GRANTEES

Baton Rouge, LA

The City of Baton Rouge through EMS Prison Medical Services seeks to divert co-occurring substance abuse/mental health offenders that come into contact with the criminal justice system. These clients include both male and females charged with misdemeanors or non-violent felony offenses. Diversion will occur post-booking and connect clients to specialized dual disorders treatment services in the community. Through interagency collaboration and effective case management, clients will be streamlined into the treatment process. The primary goal of diversion is to reduce time spent in jail and engage clients into effective community treatment thereby reducing recidivism.

Yakima, WA

Through a partnership between Yakima County, the City of Yakima, and community provider organizations, the Yakima County Jail Diversion Program will screen adults experiencing mental illness for diversion during arraignment and adjudication. Yakima County will re-direct existing mental health and substance abuse jail services to a diversion focus by formalizing case finding processes and linkages between the criminal justice and mental health systems in order to avoid incarceration. In cooperation with Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, an established community mental health center, the Yakima diversion program also seeks to expand the scope of current services.

Orange County, FL (Orlando)

Orange County, FL seeks to develop a post-booking jail diversion program for people charged with non-violent crimes who are in need of treatment for co-occurring disorders. The county will create a mobile, multidisciplinary team of mental health providers who will provide treatment, rehabilitation, and support services 24/7 at the client's residence or place of work or recreation. Following the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) model, Orange County 's Forensic PACT Team will provide services for individuals experiencing co-occurring disorders who will be screened and diverted from jail by Treatment Diversion Courts as well as jail and court staff. The services provided by the Team will work to reduce recidivism among this population, whose needs are often unaddressed by the mental health services within jails and the existing diversion services, and will target those who fall outside mental health service systems, especially those experiencing homelessness.