Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Jail Diversion Center
Diverting individuals with behavioral health needs away from jail
The Harris County Mental Health Jail Diversion Program aims to divert individuals with mental health conditions away from the Harris County Jail to the Ed Emmett Jail Diversion Center where they will receive behavioral health treatment.
Voluntary participants will receive on-site services including:
- Health Assessments, triage and 24-48 hour observation
- Integrated treatment and care plans to assist in an individual's stabilization
- Medication management
- On-site primary care
- On-site psychiatric care
- Psychosocial programming
- Detox/Substance use disorder services
- Rehabilitation services
- Short-term respite beds
- Peer support
- Extensive discharge planning to coordinate access to housing, social services and treatment post discharge, utilizing case managers and peer support
Program Partners:
- The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD
- Harris County Judge's Office
- Harris County Sheriff's Office
- Harris County District Attorney’s Office
- Houston Police Department
- Harris Health System
- Harris County Housing Authority
- Harris County Commissioners Court
- Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating
View the Justice System Partners evaluation of the Mental Health Jail Diversion Program and its impact within Harris County.
In the News: The Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Jail Diversion Center
- Meet Stephen: Harris County Mental Health Jail Diversion Program
- Healthcare Global | Apr. 12, 2021
- Amid debate to defund the police, Dallas County DA’s plan to divert mentally ill offenders does something
- Dallas Morning News | Sept. 14, 2020
- Texas lawmakers allocate nearly $400 million to state psychiatric hospitals
- Houston Chronicle | June 2, 2021
- Harris County program lowers jail costs, population but cuts our punishment
- KHOU 11 | Nov. 14, 2019
- 'It saved my life' | Harris County program diverts low-level offenders with mental illness from jail to treatment
- KHOU 11 | June 26, 2019
- Harris County Expands Program Sending Low-Level Offenders To Mental Health Treatment Instead Of Jail
- Houston Public Media | May 1, 2019
- Harris County leaders target better jail diversion programs
- Community Impact Newspaper | Apr. 9, 2019
- Mental health diversion center opens in Midtown
- Chron.com | Oct. 1, 2018
- Houston’s biggest hail wants to shed its reputation as a mental health treatment center
- Politico | July 9, 2018