ODR Planning Pilot
In 2015, the county of Los Angeles created the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) to develop and implement programs to divert people with serious mental, physical and/or behavioral health needs away from the LA County jail into community-based care. As referenced on the ODR website, ODR is credited with launching many successful and innovative programs and has been able to support the release of thousands from the jail into the community. There is no dispute that ODR has delivered on the promise of diversion and has modelled a nimble and adaptive approach to innovation.
Summary
Heart Forward seeks to understand why a small cohort of individuals, deferred from the county jail into community-based residential treatment through ODR, struggle to succeed and complete the program. This 18-month pilot planning grant is funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. By early 2027, Heart Forward will outline the contours of a pilot that would lead to a more positive outcome for this subset of individuals.
Assumptions
Heart Forward holds these assumptions which need to be tested and/or disproved:
A small, but significant, portion of LA County inmates, with mental health conditions, who are released into the community through the ODR program, fail repeatedly in these community settings. This recidivism results in disruption, human suffering, continued cycles of homelessness and significant cost due to the inefficient revolving door of jail.
The current array of community settings lack attributes that would contribute to better outcomes for people with chronic challenges exacerbated by social isolation..
The situation with the majority of these individuals is complicated by a co-occurring substance use disorder, usually meth.
An intermediate “step-down” to a therapeutic environment, built upon a culture of radical hospitality and recognizing the transformative power of peer support, would lead to better outcomes.
The goal is to achieve better outcomes for these individuals who repeatedly recidivate back to jail (or eventually land in prison). Let us imagine the roadmap to release from jail and the pursuit of a recovery path, social support and success in housing.
2026 Activities Underway
Data review
Site visits
Listening sessions and focus groups with participant/residents, family members, service providers
Dedicated peer support pilot in one or two selected locations, committed to a culture of radical hospitality, to test assumptions around community building, social inclusion and purpose (subject to funding)
Please reach out to us if you are interested to participate in our listening sessions, facilitate a site visit or focus group, or generally learn more about this initiative.
