Cohort 2023

Homeward Bound

Using Data to Improve Services for People Experiencing Mental Health Crises

Dallas County, TX

As in many counties, the county jail in Dallas County is a de facto mental health treatment facility, where a large share of the population is in need of mental health care. Diversion from jail to treatment is a growing focus for people seeking criminal legal system reform, especially as evidence shows that people with mental health needs are overrepresented in jails and prisons. To address these issues, Dallas County partnered with Homeward Bound to open the Dallas County Deflection Center, which offers an alternative-to-jail program for people experiencing mental health crises who are apprehended and charged with low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors. The program provides law enforcement officers with an opportunity to exercise discretion and take people somewhere they can receive immediate shelter, physical and mental health assessments, and case management that helps them with housing, family reunification, and further care.

With Catalyst Grant funding, Homeward Bound will improve its processes for collecting data about program participants and share progress through a public dashboard with the community and participants. It will track outcomes related to diversions, connections to housing, social and medical services, individual case plans, and the cost savings from avoiding incarceration. By using the data to improve the program’s services, Homeward Bound will be able to highlight opportunities to further advance racial equity in the program and inform data-driven efforts for criminal legal system reform in Dallas County.