Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office CAST Unit Expansion Project

Bernalillo County has a diverse population of nearly 700,000 residents, with 110,000 who live in the unincorporated areas of the county that include land grants and rural mountain areas. A large majority of Bernalillo County residents are historically underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization. For example, there are several federally recognized Native American tribes adjoining Bernalillo County including Sandia, Isleta, and Laguna Pueblo reservations. In any given year the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office receives 130,000 calls for service. Close to 5,000 of those calls involve a crisis or mental/behavioral health need.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office proposes to expand its Community Assistance and Support Team (CAST) program. The purpose of the CAST unit is to divert individuals with behavioral and/or mental health disorders to somewhere other than the county jail. Project activities include establishing a CAST Unit coordinator position, which will facilitate formalizing memorandum of understanding between the Sheriff’s office and the University of New Mexico Hospital (mental health agency partner) and evaluation of processes and outcomes of the diversion program. There are no planned conference activities for the recommended award.