The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD®) program is a community-based diversion program with three main goals: to reduce the harm participants cause to themselves and the community, to reduce participants' engagement in new criminal behavior, and increase public safety and quality of life for all Marion County citizens. To accomplish this, LEAD® provides tools for public safety officers to use their discretionary authority to divert individuals suspected of low-level, non-violent offenses away from jail and instead connect them with a Navigator. These Navigators are Certified Recovery Mentors or Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors who have experienced addiction firsthand, and who are able to use their lived experience, skills, and resources to connect individuals with needed community services that address their underlying substance use disorders and behavioral health concerns.
In addition to offering arrest diversions, LEAD® also provides opportunities for public safety officers and community partners to submit social referrals, which allow for individuals who meet LEAD® criteria to preemptively enroll into services prior to further criminal justice engagement.
How Does it Work?
Once a new client is enrolled into the program, they meet one on one with their assigned Navigator to address their existing barriers to self-sustainability and identify long term goals they may have. Then, together, the Navigator and the client develop a shared plan to accomplish these objectives. Navigators are able to assist clients with connections to behavioral health treatment, drug and alcohol treatment, recovery support tools, transitional or permanent housing, employment supports, and other assistance during this time.
LEAD® prides itself on a philosophy of meeting people where they are at. Be that at a tent on the side of the road or a treatment facility, our Navigators stand ready to address any and all barriers that prevent individuals from achieving their goals in life and beginning their path to recovery and self-sustainability. LEAD® also recognizes that there is no timeline for an individual's recovery journey, and as a result Navigators work with clients for as long as clients need to reach a point of self-sustainability.
Client Criteria
To qualify for services in the LEAD® program, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Currently resides in Marion County
- Have had multiple arrest cycles and contacts with law enforcement personnel
- Has no history of violent crime in the last 10 years (and has been out of prison for at least five years prior to intake)
- No history of any sex offenses, gun charges, or domestic violence
If attempting to join the program as an arrest referral, individuals who have committed a crime which require the payment of restitution are also ineligible for LEAD® services. Above all, LEAD® is a voluntary program, and any individuals who are referred to the program join on a voluntary basis. If an individual decides not to participate with the LEAD® program, they continue through the criminal justice process like normal.
What Happens if Someone Doesn't Qualify for LEAD®
LEAD®
recognizes that not everyone who is referred to the program will qualify
for services. However, it also recognizes that when people are ready to change,
the access to quick resource and treatment care is essential. Therefore, even
if an individual does not qualify for the program, Navigators work to conduct a
warm handoff with partner agencies from across the county when possible, such
as the Marion County Health and Human Services Addition Treatment Services
Center or the Behavioral Health Crisis Center.
Program Newsletter
2024 Newsletter
Performance Metrics
LEAD® and the Marion County Sheriff's Office as a whole value data driven solutions and evidence-based practices. In order to measure program success, LEAD® partners with Oregon's Criminal Justice Commission and evaluates two types of overarching metrics – measures of self-sustainability, and measures of criminal behavior.
In terms of self-sustainability, LEAD® compares rates of housing, employment, quality of life, and reports of any drug usage (excluding methadone) over the course of the last 30 days. These metrics are recorded when clients first enroll into the program, and are reassessed every six months thereafter. Below are the aggregated results of the CJC's report.
The Criminal Justice Commission also measures rates of client arrests, citations, and all other forms of law enforcement contact, and compares their averages from two years prior to LEAD® enrollment through two years post LEAD® enrollment. Overall, clients see an average of 63% less arrests, 66% less citations, and a decrease of 70% from all other forms of contact when comparing all client cohorts together. Individual client cohort contact rates can be seen below.
Judith's Success Story
Prior to joining LEAD, Judith had been living on the streets of Salem since 2015 and was homeless due to her addition. Upon learning she was pregnant in January of 2021, she knew she had to do something different. Shortly after starting treatment at Her Place, Judy was referred to LEAD as a Social Referral by Officer Perez with Keizer PD. Since joining the LEAD program Judith has given birth to a healthy baby boy. She has maintained custody of her son while completing treatment. In addition to LEAD, Judith also utilized many other resources throughout Marion County such as MOMS, MOMS+, TOTS Court, parenting classes as well as twelve step and faith-based recovery fellowships.
After her first year clean, Renee, Judith's Navigator, helped her move into an Oxford house where she began to seek employment and regain custody of her two other daughters who live out of state. While there, Judith got an internship with Project Able as well as received approval for SSI disability. Judith had at this point decided that she wanted to work in the recovery field and give back to the community that she had taken so much from in her addiction, and as such perused her certification as a Recovery Mentor. After 6 months of living in Oxford Judith was awarded a housing voucher which enabled her to move into an apartment.
Now with over two years of recovery, Judith is self-supporting through her own contributions. While she is currently a supervisor in the hospitality field she is still actively seeking employment as a Certified Recovery Mentor as was her initial goal over a year ago. Judith remains grateful at her second chance in life, she also remains perseverant with regaining custody of her older daughters who are still out of state. She maintains her recovery by attending 12 step meeting and being of service to the fellowship. Judith is an inspiring person to talk to. She is always there to help those trying to make a change in their lives and is a good friend to her peers. She has overcome so many obstacles and still continues today to take action against the barriers holding her back from her goals. Judith is living proof that people can grow self-confidence, patience, knowledge and self-sustainability if given the opportunity.
