High-Impact Grant Proposals
CoCo LEAD Plus: Board of State and Community Corrections, $5,984,000
While many jurisdictions want to reduce unnecessary incarceration, it can be tough to know where to start. For this project, we were hired to design (and write the inaugural grant proposal for) a project to reduce the criminalization and repeated incarceration of people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. To accomplish this task, we designed and led a 40-person participatory decision-making process, using an Explore: Analyze: Design: Refine framework. In the space of just two months, we developed CoCo LEAD Plus, a “diversion plus services” initiative. Funded by a $6 million state grant, CoCo LEAD Plus combines coordinated arrest-diversion protocols with peer-driven outreach and engagement; evidence-based behavioral health services; wraparound social and vocational supports; and opportunities for both transitional and permanent housing.
