Program Example

When individuals are booked into the county jail, their name, date of birth, social security number, and gender are electronically sent by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to the management information system of Value Options. The system electronically and simultaneously cross-references the demographic information with the RBHA’s roster, which includes names and information for more than 12,000 clients who receive mental health services in the area. The data link provides for continued identification of clients throughout the day, regardless of booking charge, time of booking, or current mental status. The information flows only one way: from the jail to the mental health provider.

Clients matching all categories are considered a full match, and their names are immediately sent electronically to the RBHA’s jail diversion staff as well as the client’s case manager. Full match screens contain the client’s booking number, a maximum of three booking charges, court jurisdiction(s), and general demographic information. Clients matching at least one of the categories, with the exception of gender, are considered a partial match and are sent only to the jail diversion staff. The jail diversion staff further investigates partial matches, which are either converted to full matches or deleted from the system. If converted to a full match, the case manager then electronically receives notification of the client’s admission to jail.

After full matches are determined, the jail diversion staff use various criteria to select candidates for the jail diversion program. The criteria include, but are not limited to,the nature of the current offense(s); history of incarceration; current mental status; availability of community mental health resources; public safety factors; and past performance in treatment settings.

The jail mental health diversion program consists of three types of intervention: Clients may be released from jail with conditions that include treatment; clients may be placed on summary (unsupervised) probation, which includes mandatory treatment; or clients may be given the opportunity for deferred prosecution in an intervention that includes increased judicial participation and supervision, and required treatment participation over a specified period of time. Successful completion of all requirements results in dismissal of criminal charges. All three types of diversion programs require mandatory group therapy sessions, including integrated treatment group for co-occurring disorders, which accounts for about 70 percent of the diversion population.

For individuals who are eligible for diversion, case managers are required to send pertinent clinical and care information to the jail diversion staff within 24 hours. They also must visit the client in the jail within 72 hours of incarceration, and at least once every 14 days thereafter until the inmate is released from jail.

Outcomes