Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition

Total number of agency personnel: 407
Sworn: 270
Civilian: 137

Total population served: 235,000

Jurisdiction: Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition, Arizona

• Located in a rural county (235,000 people living on 8,000 square miles with 12 law enforcement agencies), the Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition, with the support and partnership of the justice and treatment partners throughout the county, has implemented the Reach Out Initiative: 
  • The five public safety answering points in the county access the Reach Out database, in which they may input and retrieve prearrest diversion information. This information is used to better prepare the officer for the interaction, which can hopefully result in a diversion rather than an arrest. 
  • Mobile crisis response teams through Spectrum Healthcare assist officers within 30 minutes or less, 365 days a year, as well as provide co-mobile response and 911 deflection for certain jurisdictions. 
  • A crisis stabilization unit run by Polara Health allows for immediate warm hand-offs by law enforcement to behavioral health professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
  • YCSO’s detention center will screen and coordinate care upon release for people with identified mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and social determinants of health risks. 
• The Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition works as a coordinated partnership to provide feedback to the sheriff’s vision of deflecting and diverting individuals from the criminal justice system.
• Crisis Intervention Training is delivered in partnership with Prescott PD biannually for all law enforcement, probation, dispatch, and detention agencies countywide.
• 12 officers among 7 of the law enforcement agencies are Mental Health First Aid trainers and provide this training to all departmental personnel.

Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition Website

Beya Thayer
Executive Director
Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition
255 E. Gurley St.,
Prescott, AZ 86301
928-554-8820
beya.thayer@yavapaiaz.gov 

Chief Amy Bonney
Prescott Police Department
amy.bonney@prescott-az.gov

Lieutenant Jason Small
Prescott Police Department
jason.small@prescott-az.gov

Chief Deputy Jeff Newnum
Yavapai Justice & Mental Health Coalition
jeff.newnum@yavapaiaz.gov

Paige LeForte
Clinical Director
Spectrum Healthcare
paigel@spectrumhealthcare-group.org

Tamara Player
CEO
Polara Health
t.player@polarahealth.com