Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Service

COVID-19 service update: service continues as normal. Alternatives to face-to-face contact will be used where possible.

We work alongside the police to provide support for people with mental health and other needs (including learning disabilities) in police custody, courts and in the community.

Our Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Service works to identify vulnerable people in the justice system and provide the specialist assistance they, and their families, may need.

There are two main roles within the service:

  • mental health practitioners
  • support time recovery workers.

Mental health practitioners carry out assessments of people in police custody identified as having a vulnerability.

People with specific, unmet needs, can then be referred to a support time recovery worker. They work with people for up to four weeks, providing help – where appropriate – with accessing services around mental health and drug or alcohol dependency, as well as issues such as housing, debt problems and benefits.

Our aim is to divert people – wherever possible – out of the youth and criminal justice systems into health, social care or other supportive services, and reduce re-offending.

To contact the team email dorset.cjldservice@nhs.net or call 01202 705526 Monday to Friday 8.30am–4.30pm.

Mental Health and learning disabilities