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Mayor’s Office of Communications
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Core Atlanta Stakeholders Break Ground on Center for Diversion and Services

ATLANTA — On Friday, March 31, core Atlanta stakeholders—including Fulton County, the City of Atlanta, Georgia Justice Project (GJP), Grady Health System, the Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative (PAD), and Bloomberg Associates—broke ground on the future site of the Center for Diversion and Services. The groundbreaking marks the beginning of Diversion Center construction, which will take place over the next year. It also represents continued collaboration among partners to expand existing pre-arrest diversion services as a core strategy in reducing the number of people in our community in need of behavioral health services, housing or other basic resources, thereby increasing overall community safety and wellness. The Diversion Center will be operated by Grady Health System and is expected to open in 2024.

“The Diversion Center is consistent with Fulton County’s efforts to reduce the Jail population and deliver services where residents where need them most – in the community,” said Fulton County Vice Chairman Bob Ellis. “We look forward to this new chapter in our ongoing partnership with the City of Atlanta, Grady and others.”

There are challenges our communities face—like substance abuse, mental health issues, housing and economic challenges and more—that you cannot arrest your way out of. Rather than perpetuate an endless cycle of incarceration for quality of life hardships, the Center for Diversion and Services will serve as a resource to connect people to the support and services they need to address the long-neglected underlying issues that have caused many of their encounters with law enforcement,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.

“Grady’s core mission is to improve our community’s overall health, which includes their mental health and community integration,” said Anne Hernandez, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at Grady Health System.  “The Diversion Center will allow for a person-centered approach to support those who encounter police due to being unhoused, experiencing mental health or substance use issues, or because they are living in poverty.  We are grateful for our partners who will collaborate to provide these individuals with the resources necessary to improve their well-being.”

Once operational, the Diversion Center will offer all Metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies 24/7 drop-off for individuals experiencing concerns related to homelessness, mental health, substance use, and/or poverty.  Aiming to reduce arrest and jail and empower individuals with tools and resources to move forward positively, Diversion Center guests will be welcomed by a peer-led team and receive a holistic, person-centered set of services in a safe environment.  Some of those services will include mental and physical health assessments, basic medical care (with transportation to Grady Health System’s main campus for acute needs), flexible space for community-led resources and activities, and access to food, clothing, bathrooms, showers, and laundry services.  The Diversion Center will also provide a sobering center, where guests can recover from alcohol or drug use without going to the emergency room or jail.  Once diverted, guests will be connected to partner organizations, including PAD’s care navigation team to receive ongoing support to access housing, establish income, address legal barriers, and reconnect to community supports. The Diversion Center will be housed within the 254 Peachtree St., SW building and managed separately from existing Department of Corrections operations.

“The Atlanta Police Department’s goal is not to incarcerate those suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, or poverty.  We work closely with the existing mobile diversion services provided by Grady Hospital and PAD,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.  “The ability to have 24/7 access to the Diversion Center will allow our officers to make sure these individuals are offered the proper resources to help them overcome these hardships.”

Additionally, Georgia Justice Project will operate an innovative Warrant Resolution Clinic within the Diversion Center once operational in 2024.  In March 2023, GJP began accepting referral cases through the Clinic and will continue to do so before and after Diversion Center opening.  The Clinic will include a team dedicated to resolving Diversion Center guests’ outstanding warrants in collaboration with law enforcement and court partners, which can often be a barrier to pre-arrest diversion, particularly for communities the Diversion Center will serve.

Throughout 2023, Grady Health System will lead continued Diversion Center pre-opening development, including hiring Diversion Center staff, building out a case management system, collaborating with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs on indoor and outdoor public art, monitoring construction, and establishing an off-site referral network among existing Atlanta service providers.

PAD will continue to provide pre-arrest diversion services to local law enforcement agencies prior to the Diversion Center opening.  PAD will also train law enforcement agencies and support ongoing community engagement in the development of Diversion Center protocol and programming.  In 2022, the Atlanta Police Department diverted 319 people through pre-arrest diversion and is on track to increase that number in 2023.

“A physical location that will provide resources 24 hours/day, 365 days/year will mean many more people benefit from consent-based, person-centered support,” says PAD Executive Director Moki Macías. “We look forward to continuing to partner with Grady Hospital, Georgia Justice Project, and other core partners to divert people from our local jails in order to improve community safety and wellness.”

“In developing the Center for Diversion and Services, the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, and their partners are not only providing a critical resource to Atlanta residents, but have also developed a strong collaborative network to expand on this effort in the future,” said Robin Ried of Bloomberg Associates, the pro bono consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies that has been working with the City of Atlanta on this effort.  “The Center for Diversion and Services puts Atlanta at the forefront of cities in the United States.”

For continued updates on Diversion Center progress and other related initiatives at the City of Atlanta, check out justicereform.atlantaga.gov.

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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta.