On June 8, 2017, the California Board of State and Community Corrections awarded Yolo County a Proposition 47 grant in the amount of $5,968,215 (to be spent over a 38-month period) to expand its criminal justice diversion programs. The project, called Steps to Success, will be a collaborative effort between the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, Health and Human Services Agency, Probation Department, and Public Defender’s Office. The project is intended to reduce recidivism and advance the recovery of people involved in the criminal justice system who have a history of mental health and/or substance use disorders.

The project will provide supportive services of intensive case management, substance use disorder treatment, civil legal assistance, mental health services, and permanent housing assistance to individuals with a mental health and/or substance use disorder who are eligible for a local criminal justice diversion program, such as the District Attorney’s Neighborhood Court program.

This new project marks a significant expansion of services available to residents of Yolo County who are involved with the criminal justice system. Currently, the District Attorney’s Office offers several diversion programs for low-level offenders, but has limited capacity to provide direct supportive services to participants. The County hopes the increased provision of supportive services to participants in the local diversion programs will further advance participant rehabilitation and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.

The Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency will be issuing several requests for proposals seeking community-based organizations to provide some of the direct services associated with the project, including: outreach and assessment; case management and treatment; civil legal services; and rapid re-housing assistance.