Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a pre-booking program that gives law enforcement officers the opportunity to divert low-level offenders from incarceration and into rehabilitation. The goal of LEAD is to help individuals who suffer from a substance use disorder by diverting them from the expensive cost of the judicial system to substance use treatment and behavioral health programs. The LEAD program also reduces recidivism and the workload of law enforcement professionals while improving overall community safety.
The goals of the LEAD program are to:
LEAD was launched in 2011 in Seattle, Washington and gave individuals referred to the program up to 30 days to report to a treatment facility. The program has expanded nationwide. LEAD incorporates the use of social referrals from friends and loved ones. The most recent large city success comes from Baltimore, MD where law enforcement focuses on specific inner-city areas hardest hit with addiction. They incorporate wraparound care such as dedicated LEAD officers, peer case managers, homeless outreach coordinators, and behavioral health therapists.
As part of ongoing efforts to combat the substance use disorder epidemic, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Office of Drug Control Policy and DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health have partnered with five separate statewide Comprehensive Behavioral Health Facilities to start LEAD programs. LEAD is operational in 16 counites: Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Webster, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming. Braxton and Gilmer counties are under development with partnership from United Summit. Services are expected to be available by late 2020 or early 2021.
To learn more, visit https://dev-dhhrtwo.wv.gov/office-of-drug-control-policy/programs/Pages/LEAD.aspx.