LISTEN: Atlanta community leaders gathered downtown to cut the ribbon on a new center that will provide resources that could  divert people from going to jail. GPB’s Amanda Andrews reports.

Officials met at the Center for Diversion and Services for a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 28, 2024.

Officials met at the Center for Diversion and Services for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 28, 2024.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

Atlanta community leaders and artists gathered downtown to cut the ribbon on the Center for Diversion and Services, which will provide resources to divert people from going to jail.

The CDS is a collaboration between the city of Atlanta, Fulton County, Grady Health System, and several local groups. It will offer help to people struggling with issues that can lead to arrest including extreme poverty, mental health issues and substance abuse.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney spoke at the ribbon-cutting. He said the center marks a shift from a problem-focused approach to a person-focused approach.

“We have for too long said, 'That's a trespasser. That's a drunk. That's a homeless guy. It's a problem,'" McBurney said. “We haven't been thinking about 'Well, wait, that's a person. It’s a person with a story. It's a person with some problems, but that person isn't the problem. That is a neighbor.'”

The CDS will offer food, laundry services, showers, clothing, a sobering center, counseling and long-term support. The new center is in the same building as the Atlanta City Detention Center, but operates wholly separately from the jail with a separate entrance and independent staff

Mayor Andre Dickens said Atlanta hosts many visitors for large events and serves as a hub for the region.

“So when someone experiences a mental health episode or someone has a situation that they are not able to resolve for themselves, we often are the place where we have to fill in the gap, and I'm grateful for this partnership,” he said.

The CDS will not take walk-ins; police and other first responders will bring individuals to the center. Walk-ins are accepted at the new Fulton County Behavioral Health Crisis Center, which opened in August in Atlanta.

People looking for immediate assistance can also call ATL311 to receive support from a Policing Alternatives and Diversion Community Response team. PAD will also provide long-term case management to guests at the center.

Tags: police  mental health  Counseling  homelessness  Georgia