South Carolina Deflection Hub
About the Hub
The South Carolina Deflection Hub, run by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research (CAMHR), serves as a central location for deflection programming staff and other interested parties to access upcoming events, Technical Assistance (TA), and other deflection-based resources.
- Learning Collaborative: The purpose of the Learning Collaborative is to increase knowledge sharing among South Carolina deflection programs, providing a space to promote best practices, share local resources, and collectively address unique barriers.
- Upcoming Webinars and Spotlights
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- September 9 at 1pm - LEAD Spotlight (Marion County, OR)
- October 14 at 10am - Deflection Spotlight (Marathon County, WI)
- November 10 at 10am - Deflection Spotlight (Douglas County, WI)
- December 9 at 10am - Deflection Spotlight (Knox & Waldo County, ME)
What is Deflection?
Deflection refers to a preventive and non-punitive approach of responding to people with unmet behavioral health needs who may be at risk of coming in contact with law enforcement. Informed by harm reduction principles, deflection seeks to provide alternative, community-based pathways to individuals struggling with a substance use disorder, mental health disorder, or chronic homelessness. These pathways serve as a shared public safety and public health approach to reduce crime and the burden put on the criminal legal system by 'deflecting,' or redirecting, individuals to case management and recovery services. According to the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC), there are six pathways to deflection:
- Self-Referral: An individual voluntarily initiates contact with a first responder agency (law enforcement, fire, or EMS) for a referral to treatment and services.
- Active Outreach: A first responder intentionally identifies or seeks out individuals with SUD to refer them to or engage them in treatment and services; outreach is often done by a team consisting of a behavioral health professional and/or peer with lived experience.
- Naloxone Plus: A first responder and program partner (often a behavioral health professional or peer with lived experience) conduct outreach specifically to individuals who have recently experienced an opioid overdose to engage them in and provide linkages to treatment and services.
- First Responder and Officer Referral: As a preventative approach, during routine activities such as patrol or response to a service call, a first responder engages individuals and provides a referral to treatment, services, or to a case manager.
- Officer Intervention: During routine activities such as patrol or response to a service call during which charges otherwise would be filed, law enforcement provides a referral to treatment, services, or to a case manager, or issues a non-criminal citation to report to a program. Charges are held in abeyance until treatment and/or a social service plan is successfully completed.
- Community Response: In response to a call for service, a team comprising community-based behavioral health professionals (e.g., crisis workers, clinicians, peer specialists, etc.), and/or other credible messengers—individuals with lived experience—sometimes in partnership with medical professionals, engages individuals to help de-escalate crises, mediate low-level conflicts, or address quality of life issues by providing a referral to treatment, services, or to a case manager.
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion: A Statewide Collaborative Project
To learn more about Deflection, take a look at our case study:
In 2023, the BHDD Office of Substance Use Services received a $7 million Bureau of Justice Assistance grant from the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) to partner with Clemson University and six diverse law enforcement agencies in South Carolina to implement Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs. As subgrantees, Clemson received $1.15 million to help establish and evaluate the six LEAD sites over a three-year period. The Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research, led by Dr. Heidi Zinzow, is responsible for providing technical assistance and support to the six agencies, while the Drugs and Crime Research Laboratory, led by Dr. Bryan Miller, is responsible for conducting the evaluation of its implementation and outcomes.
Technical Assistance
In addition to serving as the subgrantee TA providers for six federally funded law enforcement agencies implementing a LEAD program, CAMHR engages and assists stakeholders involved in deflection programming across the state. Through the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction, CAMHR offers pro-bono Technical Assistance for opioid abatement strategies, including the planning and implementation of pre-arrest diversion and deflection-based programs. If you would like to receive assistance, please fill out the brief TA Request Form on the Center of Excellence website.
CAMHR has also operates a TA Deflection Library where you can access the latest and up-to-date deflection resources, including planning guidelines, best practices, model documents, and much more!
