Lamoille County's Law Enforcement and Behavioral Health Collaboration Project

Lamoille County's Law Enforcement and Behavioral Health Collaboration Project Abstract

The purpose of this project is to plan, design and implement a Pre-Arrest Diversion Program for people with mental health and substance use disorders for the Morristown Police Department (MPD). This will be accomplished by embedding a Mental Health/Substance Use Crisis Worker within the police department who works for Lamoille County Mental Health Services (LCMHS).
LCMHS will establish a Forensic Mental Health Peer Support Program to provide the wrap-around supports and services to the clients who use the Pre-Arrest Diversion Program or who have contact with the justice system. This project will serve Lamoille County, Vermont. It will be accomplished by hiring a consultant and utilizing the Lamoille Health Collaborative to conduct the planninng and design phase of the project in year one. In years two and three, MPD and LCMHS will implement, monitor and evaluate the Pre-Arrest Diversion Program and the Forensic Mental Health Peer Support Program through data collection and by establishing measurable performance outcomes for both programs.

The program-specific priority area is Rural. The lead applicant is Lamoille County Mental Health Services, a state-designated mental health agency serving Lamoille County, Vermont. The partner applicant is the Morristown Police Department which serves Morrisville, Vermont. The target population is people with mental health, substance use and co-occurring disorders living in Lamoille County. It is anticipated the project will serve 300 individuals each year. The amount of federal funds being requested is $538,988.