The term “community response” refers to a system of coordinated support and services for both youth and adults aimed at preventing unnecessary incarceration, hospitalization, or entry into child welfare systems. These programs use evidence-based strategies to address public safety, justice reform, community behavioral health and social needs before they escalate into emergencies.
The integration of behavioral health clinicians and social service workers into community response roles has become a critical component of public safety innovation. While hiring the right treatment team is essential, also important—and often overlooked—are additional considerations for finding the right data and information systems needed to support the work.
When partnering to implement evidence-based practices (EBP) in your community, there are a number of real-world factors to consider. You might even find yourself asking, what does EBP truly look like in action? For a moment, consider these scenarios:
In this article, we identify some of the factors impacting return on investment for local government adoption of evidence-based strategies in law enforcement de-escalation and deflection from incarceration and/or emergency hospitalization, where appropriate.
