Project Grant H79SM091516

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded County Montgomery $641,186 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to implement an Early Diversion Program and Crisis Center that diverts adults experiencing behavioral health crises from criminal justice involvement prior to arrest or booking.

The recipient will deliver crisis intervention, stabilization, treatment engagement, and recovery support services centered on Montgomery County's Emergency Behavioral Health Center, scheduled to open in December 2026. The project targets adults who come to law enforcement attention during behavioral health crises presenting with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, serious mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, with focus on individuals at elevated risk of repeated crisis-system involvement. Participants are expected to experience serious mental illness, co-occurring disorders, housing instability, transportation barriers, and limited social supports. The project will serve an estimated 200 unduplicated individuals in Year 1, increasing to 230 in Year 2, 260 in Year 3, 290 in Year 4, and 320 in Year 5, for a total of 1,300 individuals over the five-year performance period.

Performance occurs in East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania. The award period runs through September 29, 2031. The project builds upon Montgomery County's established behavioral health, crisis response, and diversion infrastructure, including mobile crisis services and 988.