Officials report early success and limits in diversion pilot; county advances diversion‑center design work
August 11, 2026 | Travis County, Texas
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Travis County staff and partner researchers told the Commissioners Court on Aug. 11 that the Scribe Care diversion pilot has produced encouraging short‑term outcomes while exposing bottlenecks the county must address to scale a diversion center.
Presenters described two core pilot components: Integral Care s expanded psychiatric emergency services (PES), now operating 24/7 with added 23‑hour observation capability and access to prescribers; and a 90‑day therapeutic diversion program (TDP) designed to stabilize individuals exiting criminal legal settings and transition them back to the community with a care team. Courtney Lucas and Laura Pivateau summarized FY2025 outcomes reported in an earlier process evaluation: among participants served through PES, roughly two‑thirds avoided another crisis episode within 30 days and 94% had no arrest in the 30 days after discharge; TDP participants also showed reduced arrests and ED admissions at 30 days compared with baseline measures shared in the evaluation.
At the same time presenters and the Dell Medical team flagged constraints. TDP operates on a small footprint (fewer than 30 beds) and has a waitlist that staff said runs roughly four months; staff reported the majority of TDP participants were previously in jail and that about 72% reported homelessness. Presenters stressed that staffing, clinical enhancements (harm‑reduction and medication‑assisted treatment), housing availability and clear operational protocols with law enforcement are critical to making a larger diversion center viable. The presentation described an iterative design process (problem definition → operations planning → programming → concept plan) and said staff will return to the court with scenarios, site evaluations and recommended next steps once the diversion subcommittee provides strategic direction.
Public commenters — including formerly incarcerated organizers and providers — urged robust capacity, housing linkages and inclusive eligibility for diversion pathways. The court did not take a funding vote on a facility concept at the meeting but authorized continued design and partner coordination.
Presenters described two core pilot components: Integral Care s expanded psychiatric emergency services (PES), now operating 24/7 with added 23‑hour observation capability and access to prescribers; and a 90‑day therapeutic diversion program (TDP) designed to stabilize individuals exiting criminal legal settings and transition them back to the community with a care team. Courtney Lucas and Laura Pivateau summarized FY2025 outcomes reported in an earlier process evaluation: among participants served through PES, roughly two‑thirds avoided another crisis episode within 30 days and 94% had no arrest in the 30 days after discharge; TDP participants also showed reduced arrests and ED admissions at 30 days compared with baseline measures shared in the evaluation.
At the same time presenters and the Dell Medical team flagged constraints. TDP operates on a small footprint (fewer than 30 beds) and has a waitlist that staff said runs roughly four months; staff reported the majority of TDP participants were previously in jail and that about 72% reported homelessness. Presenters stressed that staffing, clinical enhancements (harm‑reduction and medication‑assisted treatment), housing availability and clear operational protocols with law enforcement are critical to making a larger diversion center viable. The presentation described an iterative design process (problem definition → operations planning → programming → concept plan) and said staff will return to the court with scenarios, site evaluations and recommended next steps once the diversion subcommittee provides strategic direction.
Public commenters — including formerly incarcerated organizers and providers — urged robust capacity, housing linkages and inclusive eligibility for diversion pathways. The court did not take a funding vote on a facility concept at the meeting but authorized continued design and partner coordination.
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