A specialized crisis response site as a core element of police-based diversion programs

Transporting an individual in psychiatric crisis to an emergency department is often frustrating for both law enforcement and mental health profession als. To facilitate collaboration between police and mental heath profession als in crisis cases, some communities have developed prebooking diversion p rograms that rely on specialized crisis response sites where police can dro p off individuals in psychiatric crisis and return to their regular patrol duties. These programs identify detainees with mental disorders and work wi th diversion staff, community-based providers, and the courts to produce a mental health disposition in lieu of jail. This paper describes three of th e diversion programs participating in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration jail diversion knowledge development application i nitiative that demonstrate the importance of specialized crisis response si tes. The three programs are in Memphis, Tennessee; Montgomery County Pennsy lvania; and Multnomah County, Oregon. The authors describe important princi ples in the operation of these programs: being a highly visible, single poi nt of entry; having a no-refusal policy and streamlined intake for police c ases; establishing legal foundations to detain certain individuals; ensurin g innovative, intensive cross-training; and linking clients to community se rvices.