City of Mission Mental Health Program

The City of Mission Police Department seeks to develop an arrest diversion program that will focus on redirecting individuals with severe mental illness from traditional criminal justice pathways to appropriate mental health and substance abuse treatment systems. The department sets to establish the arrest diversion program by enhancing its current mental health unit capacity through acquiring two Mental Health Officers, bringing its unit up to a total of four Mental Health Officers. The Mental Health Unit will be further supported by the collaboration with Tropical Texas Behavioral Center's professional staff. As a border-town, the Mission Police Department's jurisdiction encompasses over 34 square miles and provides its services along the United States-Mexico border. The programs accomplishments will include reducing jail overcrowding and recidivism amongst mentally ill offenders through coordination and partnership opportunities with a local behavioral center.