Mobile Engagement Enhancement

The City of Austin's Downtown Austin Community Court will use grant funds to enhance a Mobile Court program to address barriers to accessing justice and case management services and divert and deflect individuals in Austin with substance use and mental health disorders who are experiencing homelessness. The enhancement will address priority 1A: existing inequities and engage individuals experiencing homelessness who are disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization by replicating and implementing best practices and evidence-based tools in the field. The enhancement will address all six principles of community justice, as discussed in the proposal narrative.

The two goals that have been identified are meeting people where they are by providing mobile services such as outreach, case management, and pre-adjudication court services to individuals who have barriers to traditional court and mental health care services; and increasing referrals to mental health providers for individuals who are experiencing homelessness. The number of individuals engaged is anticipated to be between 50 to 150 individuals per month. These numbers are based data collected during an initial Mobile Court pilot, and varies based on factors like weather, location, and staff availability.

The proposed funding will be used across 48 months to hire a full time project manager who will coordinate the matching resources such as court and case management staff, coordinate logistics with partners, design and implement community training, and manage data processes such as collection, data sharing, and analysis; partially fund case management and court staff time and mental health service providers; and support the delivery of Mobile Court events.