The Dunn County Criminal Justice Collaborating Council on Nov. 20, 2025, heard a presentation from Project Hope staff about their law-enforcement deflection and diversion work, including a youth review team and a quick response team that links people to treatment, housing and peer support.

Project Hope presenters—Tracy Erickson (city police), Dylan Christ (sheriff’s office behavioral health officer), Lindsay Calderon (behavioral health case manager) and Officer Aaron Berg (Menominee Police Department)—outlined program structure and partnerships, and shared local engagement numbers demonstrating recent growth. Aaron Berg said the team provides hands-on supports, noting, "with some of our grant funding, [we] provide cell phones" to help clients connect to services.

The presenters contrasted diversion (post-violation options) with deflection (intervening before a criminal act) and described mentoring and community partners such as Mentor Chippewa and Milkweed Connections. They reported caseload growth from 26 clients in 2022 to 74 in 2023, 102 in 2024 and 154 new people entered into Core Data in 2025; self-referrals rose from 25 (2023) and 20 (2024) to 41 so far in 2025.

Council members praised the team’s rapport-building and shared success stories—clients linked from outreach to detox or Hope Gospel Mission and into employment. Staff also told the council that Dunn County is one of 20 communities selected for a federally funded Texas Christian University research evaluation beginning midyear next year to study deflection effectiveness and cost implications.

Presenters fielded questions from CJCC members about outreach, data collection and partner coordination. The council thanked Project Hope for the update and staff encouraged members to review supplemental materials in the packet.