Behavioral health partnerships for early diversion of adults and youth - the southeast missouri early diversion initiative will expand mental health and substance use diversion services across seven…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded the Missouri Department of Mental Health $650,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to expand mental health and substance use disorder diversion services across seven rural counties in Southeast Missouri.

The Southeast Missouri Early Diversion Initiative will screen, provide crisis response, and rapidly link to care more than 1,300 adults at risk of criminal justice involvement over five years. The project targets individuals experiencing mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorders—including depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and elevated suicide risk—across Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, Mississippi, Perry, Scott, and Ste. Genevieve counties, covering 3,534 square miles with a population of 202,863. The initiative strengthens coordination among behavioral health providers, law enforcement, emergency medical services, crisis services, and community stakeholders. Mobile outreach, veteran-focused supports—targeting 10,087 veterans in the service area experiencing disproportionately high rates of PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders, and suicidal ideation—and validated screening tools will increase treatment access in underserved rural regions and reduce preventable arrests.

Performance extends from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2031, with place of performance in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Behavioral health partnerships for early diversion of adults and youth - the southeast missouri early diversion initiative will expand mental health and substance use diversion services across seven rural counties, serving more than 1,300 adults over five years. This project identifies and supports individuals at risk of criminal justice involvement through evidence-based screening, crisis response, and rapid linkage to care. By strengthening coordination among behavioral health providers, law enforcement, EMS, crisis services, and community stakeholders, IT will reduce preventable arrests and improve community safety. Mobile outreach, veteran-focused supports, and validated screening tools will increase access to treatment in underserved rural regions. The initiative advances samhsa's strategic priorities in prevention, crisis care, evidence-based treatment, long-term recovery, and data-driven system improvement. The southeast missouri early diversion initiative will serve cape girardeau, bollinger, madison, mississippi, perry, scott, and STE. Genevieve counties, covering 3,534 square miles with a population of 202,863 residents. The project targets adults at risk of criminal justice involvement who are experiencing or showing warning signs of mental illness or CO-occurring substance use disorders. This includes individuals with depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders, as well as individuals with elevated suicide risk. Population demographics show that 23% of residents are under 18, 55% are adults ages 18-64, and over 20% are seniors, with rural counties skewing significantly older. Veterans represent a major at-risk subgroup, with 10,087 veterans living in the service area and experiencing disproportionately high rates of PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and suicidal ideation. Across the five-year project period, the initiative will serve: year 1: 150 individuals; year 2: 225 individuals; year 3: 255 individuals; years 4-5: 350 individuals annually-a total of 1,330 unduplicated adults served. Strategies and interventions include validated screening tools, mental health first aid (MHFA), question, persuade, refer (QPR) suicide prevention, crisis intervention team (CIT) training, trauma-informed engagement, mobile outreach, and cross-system coordination with law enforcement, courts, EMS, 988, hospitals, housing providers, and the VA. Project goals include improving community outreach and linkages, expanding mobile treatment services and telehealth, implementing validated risk assessment and diversion tools, and improving data collection and cross-system communication. Measurable objectives aligned with samhsa's strategic priorities include increasing validated screenings, reducing pre-booking arrests through early linkage, increasing referrals to evidence-based treatment based on admissions across community providers, and conducting quarterly spars reporting, annual CQI cycles, and year-3 sequential intercept mapping updates to strengthen system alignment. DMH and partner agencies will collaborate with key coalition partners, police departments, courts, and jails in the 24TH, 32ND, and 33RD judicial circuits to track arrest and booking data over the five-year project timeline to assess outcomes of early diversion interventions.