When a relative with a serious mental illness enters the jail system, families can encounter several unfamiliar phrases at once: crisis intervention, diversion, screening and treatment. They sound related because they are. They do not describe the same point in a case.
Miami-Dade’s Criminal Mental Health Project, established in 2000, provides a useful way to understand the distinction. The court describes work before booking and after booking, with community treatment and support as central aims.1 Knowing which stage applies makes the next conversation more productive.
Before booking and after booking are different
The court describes Crisis Intervention Team work as training for officers responding to mental-health crises.3 It is part of the pre-booking side of the project. It should not be confused with a guaranteed route into a court program after someone has already been booked.
After booking, the questions change. Who is handling the case? Has a referral been considered? What clinical and legal review applies? A family can help organize those questions without assuming it can decide the outcome.
Start by identifying the person’s current stage and the professional responsible for the next decision. Repeating a general request for “mental-health court” may be less useful than asking counsel whether the specific post-booking program is relevant to the case.
A broad project can contain narrower programs
The current post-booking page describes expansion beyond the original misdemeanor population, including some felony cases. It lists family members among possible sources of felony referrals, while explaining that legal and clinical criteria apply.2 For felony referrals, it describes State Attorney approval and victim consent when appropriate.2 A referral is a request for review, not acceptance.
The court also maintains a County Court FAQ focused on a narrower track, with different eligibility wording.4 Readers should not treat that one FAQ as the full scope of every service under the project. Ask which program is being discussed and which criteria apply to this case.
This is a place where precision helps more than reassurance. “There is a program” and “this person qualifies” are different statements. The latter requires a case-specific answer from the professionals responsible for screening and the legal process.
Bring a short, usable set of questions
For counsel or the program coordinator, begin with three questions: Is this case potentially appropriate for a referral? Has anyone already made one? Who should receive additional information, and through what channel?
Then ask what remains unresolved. It might be a screening, a legal decision, consent or a service arrangement. Do not send a detailed medical history through an unconfirmed email address merely because it appears related to the court. First establish the appropriate recipient and process.
The project’s main page lists program coordinator Tim Coffey at 305-548-5223.1 The role of that contact is to clarify the program and its process; a phone call should not be represented as a promise of admission or release.
Ask what happens beyond the courtroom
The court’s post-booking description includes assessment and coordination of community services.2 For a family, the practical questions are concrete: what appointments are expected, who coordinates them, what transportation is available, and who should be contacted if arrangements fail?
Write down confirmed responsibilities separately from possibilities. A proposed placement is not an accepted placement; a referral is not an appointment. Keeping those distinctions visible gives relatives a more accurate picture of what they can help with next.
Diversion decisions belong to the court and the professionals evaluating the case. Families can contribute by sharing information through the correct channels and keeping an organized record of questions, contacts and confirmed next steps.
Sources & notes
Public sources reviewed September 25, 2026. Historical events retain their dates and do not establish current availability. Confirm schedules and requirements before acting.
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida — Criminal Mental Health Project
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit — Post-Booking Diversion
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit — Crisis Intervention Team
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit — County Court Jail Diversion FAQ
Reporting based on public documents and sources from the responsible organizations; no facility visit or original interviews are represented.