Diversion of Arrests: SBDI

DIVERTING YOUTH FROM ARREST

The School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) works to reduce juvenile justice involvement among youth with mental health needs.

Research shows that youth with mental health needs are more likely to come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

• Schools are one of the primary referral sources to the mental health and juvenile justice systems. 
• Many children who are arrested in schools have unmet behavioral health needs.
• Approximately 65% to 70% of youth in juvenile detention have a diagnosable behavioral health condition.

SBDI works with local middle and high schools to:

• Provide training to help school personnel identify children with behavioral health needs
• Build connections between schools and effective community-based mental health services, as an alternative to arrest, suspension and/or expulsion
• Revise schools’ policies and practices to increase capacity for responding to the mental health needs of all students

SBDI has served 73 schools across 26 school districts and continues to expand to additional schools each year.  SBDI schools have reduced court referrals by 29% and connected 55% more students to behavioral health services (calls to 2-1-1 Mobile Crisis Intervention Services).

SBDI was initially developed with grant funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network. SBDI implementation is jointly funded and overseen by the Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division (CSSD), the State Department of Education (SDE), and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). CHDI is the coordinating center for SBDI.

For more information about SBDI, visit www.ctsbdi.org, read our IMPACT report, download our SBDI Toolkit, or contact Jeana Bracey.

To learn more about how your school or district can get involved, contact Project Coordinator Elaine Mancini. 

Related Publications

Jeana Bracey, Ph.D. - Associate Vice President of School and Community Initiatives jbracey@chdi.org (860) 679-1524

Yecenia Casiano, MS - Senior Project Coordinator ycasiano@chdi.org (860) 679-2336

Rebekah Behan - Senior Project Coordinator rbehan@chdi.org (860) 679-8726

Elaine Mancini, MA - Project Coordinator emancini@chdi.org (860) 679-6293