Promising Practices in Police Diversion Programs

• In Event: Models of Police Diversion at the Point of Arrest

Abstract

Programs through which police divert people away from arrest to mental health and addiction services have grown in number, type, diversity, and size over the past 50 years. To create a national profile of police diversion program types across the United States, researchers from 8 institutions interviewed local program directors and state and national leaders in the field of police diversion at arrest. Following a systematic literature review, interviews (n=44) were conducted via videoconference, recorded, and professionally transcribed. Eight co-authors open coded the transcripts, which was followed by re-reading and developing key themes during a collaborative retreat. Program Design themes included the importance of [1] multi-agency collaborations; [2] enabling infrastructure, (including laws, leaders, diverse funding, political will, community support, and high-capacity service array); [3] public education; and [4] earlier intervention with many paths to diversion. Operational advice from leaders included that: [5] Services must be tailored to the individual; [6] police officer training can maximize officer buy-in; [7] turnover among collaborators must be planned for; [8] long-term engagement is needed to serve hard to reach populations; and [9] staff should include people with lived experience of substance use.

Author

• Sam Mandara, Rutgers University School of Social Work