School Based Diversion Initiative
SBDI was developed as a component of the John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation Models for Change Mental Health/Juvenile Justice
Action Network and is sustained through State funds. The Connecticut
State Board of Education (“CSBE”), the Judicial Branch Court Support
Services Division (“CSSD”), and the Department of Mental Health and
Addiction Services (“DMHAS”) currently fund SBDI and participate on
the oversight committee. The Department of Children and Families
(“DCF”) also serves on the oversight committee. CHDI is the
Coordinating Center for SBDI. This initiative is offered at NO COST to
your school(s) and does come with funding to support implementation.
The mission of the Connecticut School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) is
to reduce rates of in-school arrests, expulsions, and out-of-school
suspensions. By doing this, SBDI helps keep kids in school, improves
student outcomes, and ensures that students receive fair and equitable
in-school discipline regardless of mental health, special education needs
or demographic characteristics such as race or ethnicity.
Learn more about SBDI or SBDI-E:
Contact Person:
Yecenia Casiano
SBDI promotes positive outcomes for youth at risk of arrest due to
emotional or behavioral health challenges through
three primary goals:
Reduce the frequency of expulsions, out-of-school suspensions, and
discretionary school-based arrests.
Link youth who are at risk of arrest to appropriate school- and
community-based services and supports.
Build knowledge and skills among teachers, school staff, and school
resource officers to recognize and manage behavioral health crises in
the school, and access needed community services.
As a school-wide initiative, SBDI provides training (including restorative
practices), consultation, and support for school professionals and
increases the likelihood that students are appropriately linked to
existing networks of services and supports in both the school and the
surrounding community. SBDI promotes fair and equitable in-school
discipline regardless of individual student characteristics such as mental
health or special education needs, race, or ethnicity. Together, these
efforts work towards building capacity for enhanced school mental health
services and supports, improving school connectedness, and promoting
positive student outcomes.
CHDI has now developed a model for the elementary school level called
SBDI-E, which is an adaptation of the School-Based Diversion Initiative
(SBDI). SBDI-E Early Intervention addresses the social, emotional, and
behavioral health needs of younger children to reduce the use of
out-of-school suspensions and other exclusionary practices, Enhance the
knowledge and skills among school staff relating to trauma-informed mental
health and restorative practices, and increase the use of behavioral
health services and supports.
For more information on SBDI or SBDI-E, please visit their website,
https://ctsbdi.org/ or contact Yecenia Casiano at ycasiano@chdi.org.