The target population includes those who frequent emergency rooms and inpatient services. Most are below the federal poverty level and more than half are homeless.

Hospital Diversion Teams provide an immediate response to hospitals' requests for service including short-term, intensive response (respite care, stabilization, intensive case management) and longer-term supports that promote self-sufficiency (aftercare planning, transportation, housing, disease management, and recovery).

How It Works

• Hospital or agency staff identifies the patient as appropriate for the program and contacts the referral line.
• Intensive outreach case managers connect with the patient at the hospital, in the community, or at their residence to assist with discharge planning and accessing community services quickly.
• The outreach case manager will begin providing services to the patient immediately to help them stabilize. This includes accessing expedited Community Mental Health Center services as well as providing intensive outreach services until the client is transitioned to a long-term program.
• Outreach case managers are also able to provide targeted, short-term crisis support for patients if they return to the hospital due to loss of services with their center to assist with re-engagement and stabilization.