Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative Information

The Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion (PAD) initiative is a coordinating agency that strives to reduce the number of people in jails who would be better served by social and behavioral health services. Pre-arrest diversion allows police officers to offer consent-based supportive services instead of making an arrest. Officers initiate diversions, and are met at the scene of the offense by a PAD Care Navigation team who immediately begins working with a diverted participant. Our goal is to divert 150 participants by October 2019, eventually expanding to serve the entire city of Atlanta. DIVERSION FACILITATION We partner with the Atlanta Police Department to divert people subject to arrest in the neighborhoods of Downtown, Midtown and Old Fourth Ward. Our priority participants are... • Impacted by racial disparities in arrests • Multiple contacts with criminal legal system • Excluded from other services • Unmet mental health needs • Substance use disorders • Extreme poverty CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERVENTION We coordinate criminal justice agencies in order to divert individuals from the jail and court systems, and remove legal barriers to their success. Our partners include... • Atlanta Police Department • City of Atlanta Solicitor • City of Atlanta Public Defender • Fulton County District Attorney • Fulton County Public Defender • Fulton County Solicitor CARE NAVIGATION We provide case management, linkage to care, and participant advocacy. We work to strengthen social services in the Metro Atlanta region by building capacity for evidence-based care. Our care navigation approach is rooted in... • Harm Reduction • Trauma-informed • Housing First • Cultural Competency