Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Launches National Program to Bolster Mental Health Diversion Initiatives

BMS Foundation's new focus area aims to expand access to behavioral health services for medically underserved individuals, reduce incarceration and recidivism.

Inaugural grants are supporting crisis response, community-based treatment, court-based intervention, and longer-term care coordination.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS Foundation), an independent charitable organization, recently announced that it has established a new strategic focus area dedicated to strengthening mental health diversion programs in the United States.

The BMS Foundation's Brain Health program, one of the organization's four focus areas, along with adult cancers, pediatric cancers and childhood blood disorders, and clinical trials, was created under a new strategic framework centered around building local healthcare capacity and accelerating access to care. Within this focus area, the Mental Health Diversion Program is anchored by grants to national and community-based diversion initiatives.

Through this new effort, the BMS Foundation is supporting national and local organizations working to direct people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) away from the criminal justice system and toward community-based treatment. Funding will support the testing of innovative new care models, including novel approaches to triage, crisis response, and longer-term care coordination, all aimed at strengthening capacity to respond effectively and sustainably to critical behavioral health needs.

People with mental illnesses are dramatically overrepresented in the criminal justice system. According to a Department of Justice study, 44% of people in jail and 37% of incarcerated individuals are living with mental health conditions. Each year, an estimated more than 1.7 million individuals with SMI are booked into American jails.

Law enforcement, the courts, and jails and prisons typically aren't equipped to evaluate and meet the behavioral health needs of people with SMI - yet the criminal justice system is often the default first responder for mental health crises. Mental health diversion programs, however, have emerged as a promising alternative, with different programs offering interventions at the pre-arrest, pre-charge, or post-charge stage.

"Like anyone experiencing a medical issue, people living with serious mental illnesses deserve access to the best possible care," said Catharine Grimes, president of the BMS Foundation. "But too often, mental health issues lead to incarceration and re-incarceration because people in crisis don't have timely access to the care and support they need. The BMS Foundation is working to shift that status quo and break the cycle of incarceration by helping divert patients into care, not custody. By supporting visionary organizations across the country, we are helping create viable alternatives that address critical gaps in mental health care systems."

To launch this new strategic initiative, the BMS Foundation has awarded four grants this year to support a range of evidence-based diversion strategies across key intervention points, including:

• Crisis response programs that deploy mental health professionals alongside or instead of law enforcement;
• Court-based diversion initiatives that connect individuals to treatment as an alternative to prosecution or incarceration;
• Long-term care coordination that provides sustained support to prevent future justice system involvement.

Equipping Judges to Connect Defendants with SMI to Care

At the national level, the BMS Foundation is supporting the expansion of the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI), a program that strengthens judicial responses to serious mental illness in the courtroom. Through a cross-disciplinary model that pairs judges with psychiatrists, JPLI increases opportunities for diversion and connects defendants to appropriate treatment. A collaboration between the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, and the National Center for State Courts, the initiative plans to train 10,000 judges nationwide by 2030 to reduce recidivism and improve patient outcomes.

"We are deeply honored that the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation has trusted us with this mandate to expand our efforts at diversion for individuals struggling with their mental health," said Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq., Executive Director of the APA Foundation. "At the APA Foundation, we are committed to closing gaps in mental health awareness and mental health care access. Promoting diversion from the justice system through our Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI) is one of the most meaningful ways that we do so."

Bringing Care Directly to Miami's Most Underserved Communities

In Miami-Dade County, where a significant portion of the jail population is living with mental illness, the BMS Foundation is supporting two community-led diversion efforts.

One of those Miami-area efforts is led by the Advocate Program, a not-for-profit organization providing probation, diversion, and wraparound services for court-ordered individuals.

Alongside the Miami Foundation for Mental Health and the University of Miami, the organization is piloting a new interdisciplinary program, pairing care coordination and peer support specialists to support chronically underserved adults who have faced repeated justice involvement and homelessness.

"We are grateful for this remarkable opportunity to finally break the cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and emergency hospitalization for the most vulnerable individuals," said Judge Steve Leifman (Ret.), Board Member at the Miami Foundation for Mental Health. "This grant allows us to build a compassionate, coordinated response that ensures people living with serious mental illness receive the care, support, and stability they deserve."

Isabel Perez-Morina, Ph.D., CEO of the Advocate Program, added, "This grant is truly transformative, for our clients, for our community, and for our organization. It strengthens our ability to build a care coordination and peer recovery system to improve outcomes for people living with serious mental illness. With this support, we can surround each individual with a team that walks with them, advocates for them, and ensures they receive the services needed for long-term recovery."

The second program the BMS Foundation is supporting in Miami is led by Dade County Street Response (DCSR), a nonprofit that operates a mobile crisis unit and provides behavioral health and wraparound services to medically underserved community members experiencing mental health crises. The BMS Foundation's grant is helping DCSR build its clinical and support staffing capacity, increase the deployment of its crisis unit, and enhance the operation of its emergency phone line staffed by intervention specialists.

"With the support of the BMS Foundation, Dade County Street Response (DCSR) is expanding its efforts to address urgent mental health care needs in our community," said Dr. Armen Henderson, founder and executive director of DCSR. "By intervening in psychiatric crises early and compassionately, our trained medical and behavioral health professionals work to de-escalate mental health emergencies with care, dignity and clinical expertise, and reduce involuntary hospitalizations. Ultimately, DCSR seeks to transform crisis response in Miami, and the BMS Foundation's grant will help us do just that."

Strengthening Mental Health Crisis Response in Rural Georgia

The BMS Foundation is also supporting an effort in Decatur County, Georgia - a majority rural area with high poverty and incarceration rates - to establish a mental health co-responder program. This initiative, led by Georgia Pines Community Service Board, embeds behavioral health specialists with law enforcement to assist with de-escalation and care coordination for emergency mental health calls.

"This new program in Decatur County aims to provide compassionate, community-based responses to behavioral health crises by pairing mental health professionals with law enforcement," said RJ Hurn, CEO of Georgia Pines Community Service Board. "In partnership with the BMS Foundation, this grant is helping us expand our reach and improve training to better serve individuals in crisis and support long-term recovery."

Building Sustainable Care

Reflecting on the launch of these initial projects, the BMS Foundation's Grimes added, "Our goal is to help patients live fuller, healthier lives while making the criminal justice system a last resort for mental health crises. Through these partnerships, we're helping build sustainable solutions that will keep more people out of jail and on a path to recovery."

About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation

A healthier world is attainable and achievable, but access to healthcare remains unequal. The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS Foundation), an independent charitable organization, is dedicated to improving global health, striving to bridge divides by empowering local communities and health systems to create lasting impact. With a vision to help create a world where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their optimal health, the BMS Foundation works to increase access to healthcare and develop grantee relationships in geographies where they are focused, including in Brazil, India, ten countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and across the United States. For more information, visit bms.com/foundation.