The Center for Diversion & Services

Overview 

The Center for Diversion and Services provides an alternative to placing individuals with behavioral health concerns in the County jail and City detention center. Now open, the Center serves as a facility where law enforcement officers and first responders can transport individuals in need of help to address challenges such as mental health issues, substance use, and extreme poverty. Previously, these individuals would have been taken to jail, a detention center, or a hospital emergency room.

At the Center, peer specialists help address immediate basic needs such as food and showers, while partner agencies provide physical and mental health screenings, basic first aid, and connections to housing, health care, and other stabilizing resources. The Center also offers a space for sobering and provides care navigators for ongoing case management.

The establishment of the Center stems from multiple collaborative initiatives, including the County’s Justice Reform and Mental Health Task Force and the City of Atlanta’s Reimagining ACDC initiative.

Who Can Access Services at the Diversion Center?

The Center accepts individuals through the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, a joint initiative of the City and County coordinated by PAD. LEAD allows law enforcement officers to use their discretion to offer pre-arrest diversion to individuals with substantial needs related to mental health, substance use, or extreme poverty.

Priority is given to individuals who:

• Have had multiple contacts with the criminal legal system and are at high risk for recidivism.
• Are typically excluded or underserved by existing programs.
• Are disproportionately impacted by racial disparities in policing, arrests, and sentencing.

Individuals are not eligible if they:

• Are suspected of violent crimes.
• Present a substantial risk of harm to themselves or others.
• Are under 17 years old.
• Have pending charges.

Additionally, the Center welcomes individuals who do not meet the criteria for admission at Grady’s psychiatric emergency room but could benefit from assistance navigating substance-abuse, housing, and mental health resources in the community.

Where is the Center be Located?

The Center is located within a repurposed section of the Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC)—completely separated from jail operations with its own entrance.

Potential Benefits of the Center

• Potential to divert 10,500 jail bookings annually from ACDC and Fulton County jail
• Potential to divert 4,400 police custody admissions from Grady’s ER and Psychiatric ER Services
• Until now first responders have had limited options in where to take individuals in need of support services who are at risk of arrest. The Center advances county and city goals to reduce de facto use of jails as crisis centers.

Read the full press release HERE