Q&A on the News
Q: I read the recent AJC article about the Atlanta/Fulton Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. What is the $2.2 million being spent on?
—Chris Drake, Brookhaven
A: The $2.2 million budget covers two years, with a $1.1 million budget allocated for each year, Moki Macías, the program's leader, told Q&A on the News.
The initiative is a pilot program that seeks to offer alternatives for people who are arrested repeatedly for crimes of poverty or homelessness, or those that stem from addiction or mental health issues.
Its budget includes six full-time staff, including a director, and an operations and training coordinator, Macías said. The four-person care navigation team includes a social services director; two care navigators, who will meet Atlanta Police officers when they refer potential participants; and a resource specialist, whose roles include connecting participants with services.
Of the $1.1 million each year, just under half is for direct client services.
“Almost half of the budget is dedicated to being able to pay directly for services to augment the existing public and private services that are available,” she said.
Those services could include a night in a hotel or transportation to reunite the individual with family members, for example. The initiative also plans to have a mobile unit for initial intake of potential participants who may need assistance such as counseling, medical care and housing.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
