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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.

Broadly, the goal of law enforcement de-escalation and deflection services is to safely redirect individuals—particularly those experiencing mental health crises, opioid misuse or substance use issues, or other behavioral health challenges—away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate care. Some of the well-researched approaches include:

●     Early Prevention Interventions & Threat Assessment – Using behavioral threat assessment models to identify individuals at risk of crisis.

●     Behavioral Health Outreach  – Collaborative teams that proactively connect individuals with mental health services before emergencies occur.

●     Crisis Intervention – Using communication skills to de-escalate, reduce tension and prevent escalation.

●     Co-Response  – Deploying mental health professionals alongside law enforcement to assess and stabilize.

●     Referral to Community-Based Care – Connecting individuals to behavioral health services instead of the criminal justice system to employ trauma-informed strategies.

●     Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion/Deflection  – Redirecting individuals away from arrest and toward community and public health services before charges are filed. Or, offering alternative legal pathways for individuals with behavioral health disorders (e.g., drug courts, mental health courts, pre-arrest diversion, pre-trial diversion programs).

●     Follow-Up & Case Management – Ensuring navigation services and long-term support for individuals post-crisis through embedded case managers and community partnerships.

Return on Investment

Advocating for broader adoption of one or more of these strategic approaches can be challenging without systematic data and facts reinforcing evidence for return on investment. This article outlines some return on investment (ROI) factors in the adoption of de-escalation and deflection community response strategies. Because, in reality, certain costs cannot be averted with adoption of a single intervention, we are using generally estimated short-run and marginal costs.

Cost Break-Down

To calculate return on investment, we compare costs of jail diversion, emergency hospital admission and inpatient psychiatric hospital admission to community-based outpatient health services at estimated daily rates.

Outpatient Care Costs: Outpatient mental health services can vary, but one study found that the average monthly cost per participant was around $1,737, or approximately $58 per day for an average of 30 days in care.

Deflection from Incarceration into Outpatient Care

Marginal daily jail costs are estimated at $55. Some measures indicate there is an added 1.5 multiplier for cases involving severe medical, psychological, or cognitive needs. Thus, we estimate an average daily short-run marginal cost of $80 (for less than 3 days) and  $95 marginal daily costs for longer-term placements. Based on these estimates, thirty days in jail would cost $2850. Additionally, average court processing costs are estimated at around $2,000 per event.

Based on these figures, each case deflected in the field (avoiding booking and jail) and referred to an outpatient setting saves over $2000 in costs locally, along with a host of intangible and long-term benefits.

Deflection from Emergency Hospitalization or Psychiatric Admission

Behavioral health crisis services costs can vary based on the severity and longevity of the crisis as well as individual access to healthcare,  but could include the following:

●     EMS/First Response: Costs range from $500 to $2,500+ per call, depending on the level of care.

●     Hospital Emergency Departments (ED): Behavioral health ED visits average between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on the need for psychiatric consultation or stabilization; we can average $1200 for an acute mental health visit.

●     Inpatient psychiatric hospitalization: On average, admission can cost $10,000–$20,000 per visit.

●     Crisis Stabilization Units (CSUs) These specialized facilities provide 24–72 hours of care, with costs ranging from $500 to $3,000 per day.

For every case deflected from ED admission to long-term (30 day) outpatient care, immediate local cost reductions are roughly equivalent, but could be vastly different for those who are stabilized in outpatient settings. When diverted from long-term hospitalization or inpatient psychiatric admission, reductions in cost are estimated as at least $8300 per case.

All the costs provided here are based on national estimates. Cost savings estimates of jail or hospitalization vary significantly based on locality, population need, specific programs, and other factors. The costs and benefits discussed here do not capture many of the tangible and intangible benefits associated with these approaches, including improved long-term individual outcomes. Nor do costs capture long-range estimates. To get a more accurate ROI estimate for diversion or de-escalation programs in your jurisdiction, contact us.

To further model the comprehensive impact of your deflection or diversion initiative, start by systematically tracking the number of mental health or SUD arrests as well as protective custody orders made each year.

When considering the implementation of any evidence-informed strategy, systematic management of data is essential. ROI cannot be documented or communicated to local stakeholders for each case if the record of deflection and services does not exist. That is why systematic documentation of outcomes is critical.

ARETGroup Co-Respoder functions as an online outcome-tracking “notebook” designed to manage human services data and records for community and specialized response programs. Our complete suite of customizable Co-Responder forms and tools includes specific field-tested and validated measures for call logs, referral management, deflection outcomes, and crisis response.