Building Effective Partnerships

By reviewing this section of the guide first responders will be able to:

  1. Understand the nature and importance of partnerships to support successful implementation of deflection and diversion programs
  2. Develop strategies to build effective partnerships with community partners and other agencies

Partnerships are critical to any type of deflection or diversion program. Collaborative, multi-disciplinary responses to complex problems are superior to responses that can be delivered by a single organization. Adopting police agencies are often supported by public health workers, social workers, and other government or community-based organizations. Building effective partnerships to support this model takes effort and intention.

Section A: Resources for Partnership & Support Building

Before you continue reading, it could be helpful to review this PAARI presentation on developing Community and Agency Buy-in for your deflection and diversion efforts:

Additionally, this Checklist For Obtaining Officer Support For Deflection Or Pre-Arrest Diversion Programs by the International Chiefs of Police Association (IACP), BJA, the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program, and the Center for Health and Justice at TASC is a great guide to help when navigating a support strategy for your programs.  

Section B: Importance of Partnership Agreements and Considerations

Partnerships can be challenging where there is goal incongruity, distrust, and competition for resources. Implementers can overcome these challenges by i) keeping focus on shared goals, ii) make competing outlooks transparent, iii) frequent and respectful communication, and iv) setting clear boundaries through formal policy, procedures, and agreements (e.g.,
Memorandums of Understanding [MOU]).

  • Template (PDF) from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of MOU between law enforcement and behavioral health agencies
  • Example MOU (PDF) from the Carmel Fire Department and the Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs
  • Example MOU (PDF) for Civil Citation programs

To engage potential community partners, they first need to be aware of your program. Since only one in five citizens interact with their local police department each year,[66] proactive outreach is essential to ensure community awareness.

  • Market your program by creating a downloadable brochure, distributing business cards while on patrol, putting up yard signs or billboards, handing out stickers, adding decals to patrol vehicles, or tabling at local events.
  • Publicly announce your program’s launch and share milestones and success stories through press releases and pitching local media outlets.
  • Maintain an online presence, whether through a dedicated webpage or social media accounts that include information about your program’s history, how it works, who is eligible for services, and key contact details.
Partner organizations share the broad goal of promoting public safety. They agree specifically that the key goals are to save lives and reduce harms associated with drug use, including behavioral health outcomes like committing crimes or risky health practices. These goals should be recognized in all partner interactions and made clear in written statements and other materials.

Health care providers have an obligation to provide care. Police agencies have law enforcement as part of their core mission, in addition to broader public safety mandates. Public health, social work and other community-based organizations have other priorities. These institutional outlooks are unavoidable, but their impact as a barrier to partnership and implementation can be minimized with awareness. Being open means, among other things, preparing staff central to partnerships about competing outlooks and priorities.

Distrust and conflicts can exist because of prior experiences between organizations and will be detrimental to implementation.

There is no easy solution to these barriers. Agreeing to meet regularly and setting expectations that implementation will be done respectfully is key to building trust between organizations and resolving disputes.

Hear Captain Sandlin of the Kentucky State Police discuss conducting a community forum to foster partnerships and receive input from a range of stakeholders right from the start of their statewide program. (Successes, Barriers and Lessons Learned from PAARI USA on Vimeo.)

Lt. Nicastro of Gloucester PD (MA) emphasizes the importance of bringing partners in regularly to talk to staff throughout all levels of the organization. (Successes, Barriers and Lessons Learned from PAARI USA on Vimeo.)

Partnerships are more formalized organizational structures rather than loose collaborations. Partnerships function well when boundaries are set in written policy statements and agreements. Specific roles and responsibilities need to be outlined, including who will do what and what are the requirements for commitment of resources. See Section B of this Chapter for example Memorandums of Understanding. 

Deflection and diversion program development should include diverse community stakeholder collaboration. Law enforcement / public safety, mental health and recovery/treatment service providers, and persons with lived experience are critical to have at the table. Consider what other groups should be involved including but not limited to: health care providers; harm reduction organizations; public health workers; first responders and emergency management organizations (including fire, EMS, and dispatch centers); prosecutors, public defenders, judges, reentry services; recovery community members, housing, and homeless outreach providers; elected officials; faith-based organizations; legal aid services; schools and higher learning institutions; and transportation providers.[67]