This report marks a decade of dedication by the Mental Health Diversion Council (the Council) to transforming the relationships between mental health and justice systems in service of a safe and healthy Michigan. Since its inception, the Council has grown into the state leader in diversion practices, leveraging data-driven solutions and collaborative partnerships between law enforcement, courts, jails, and community mental health service providers to enhance community efforts toward deflection, diversion, and intervention. Since the last report, the Council has defined a statewide architecture for diversion built upon the Sequential Intercept Model, has expanded its reach and scope, strengthened collaborations, and pioneered new models.
The Council has collaborated for legislative achievements in several areas including assisted outpatient treatment, problem-solving courts, and juvenile justice. The initiatives of the Council have actively engaged with 81 of Michigan’s 83 counties, and more than half of the counties in the state are engaged in multiple initiatives. Initiatives focus on enhancement
of public safety through connections to treatment and services, thereby promoting recovery and functionality while preventing adults and youth from further penetrating criminal legal and juvenile justice systems. Many of these initiatives are data-driven and informed by best practices. Visit the Council website to learn more.
Over the past decade, the Council has built a solid foundation of progress and innovation, increasing the synergy between varying sectors of Michigan’s criminal legal, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. This report reflects the Council’s commitment to cross-system collaboration, transparency, continuous improvement, and measurable impact towards a safe and healthy Michigan. The work is far from finished, but the results to date are a testament to what’s possible through collaboration and a shared vision.
To read the full report, follow this link here.
Article published July 2025 by the Michigan Mental Health Diversion Council and the Wayne State University Center for Behavioral Health and Justice.
