For whom does diversion work? Factors associated with positive outcomes in a multi-site jail diversion study

The Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) Jail Diversion Initiative has funded 34 grantees nationally over the last six years with the goal of expanding local capacity for connecting incarcerated individuals having mental illness to community-based services. SAMSHA's Center for Mental Health Services funded these programs with the belief that linking this population to community-based services improves both individual and public safety outcomes. The evaluation portion of the TCE Initiative provides one of the largest data sources to date for examining the effectiveness of jail diversion. This presentation will, however, go beyond merely asking whether jail diversion works, to consider for whom diversion works. Using post-booking data from this study, we will consider which programmatic, individual, and service use factors are associated with positive outcomes. Individual outcomes examined are mental health symptomology, daily functioning, and days of substance use. Public safety outcomes include the number of post-diversion arrests, re-arrests, and jail days. We will also discuss the policy and programmatic implications of these findings.