Bronx Jail Diversion Program	RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE
938 Sheridan Avenue Bronx, NY 10451 (718) 538-7416

Purpose: The goal of the Bronx Jail Diversion Program is to provide an alternative to jail for up to 50 misdemeanor defendants annually through the Bronx Mental Health Court.  Program participants are diagnosed as seriously and persistently mentally ill and have co-occurring substance abuse histories.  This project is a collaboration with the Bronx Borough President’s office.

Program Description: To be eligible for the program, defendants must be initially screened by the Bronx District Attorney’s office for the presence of mental illness. A complete assessment, including a risk assessment, is then completed by a psychiatrist who will identify treatment needs and outline the risk to the community posed by the defendant. 
      A comprehensive treatment plan is then developed and presented to the Court for acceptance. The plan includes substance abuse and mental health treatment, medication management, medical services as needed along with housing and other services to achieve client stability.
      A special “Best Practice” provided to program participants is Illness Management and Recovery. IMR is a structured therapeutic intervention designed to help clients manage their chronic mental health problems. Staff are trained in IMR and receive ongoing supervision in this model, to determine the success of this intervention with our program population.

Funding: Funding is provided by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.