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.
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.
Caption: A 2022 review of mental health-related calls for service (CFS) in a rural Virginia region, reveals a 10% increase in call volume over three years, with the sharpest growth (47.6%) in rural townships. The review highlights the need for comprehensive local data systems mapping, noting that over 30% of mental health crisis calls were not reported in call type search.
In addition to partnership with qualified clinical and behavioral health providers, justice and law enforcement agencies are now offering a number of recovery-oriented, supportive, and direct forensic behavioral health services that effectively change the face of front-line response.
