Catholic Charities urges city to back LEAD diversion model to help people with behavioral‑health needs

Catholic Charities told the Wenatchee City Council on March 26 that it is launching a locally adapted LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) model aimed at diverting people with complex behavioral‑health and housing needs from arrest into long‑term, field‑based supportive services.

"I am Kim Hatfield. I am the north central director for Catholic Charities," Kim Hatfield said, introducing the agency’s program and its staff. Victoria Rivera, introduced by Hatfield as the organization’s lead crisis manager and the grant writer who brought the project to the community, explained how LEAD links street‑level outreach and intensive case management with policy‑level partners.

The presenters said the LEAD model is voluntary and intended to be an additional tool for law enforcement rather than a replacement for arrest or prosecution. "It doesn't mean that prosecutors or law enforcement cannot arrest or prosecute," Rivera said. "It is not a 'get out of jail free' card, but it is another tool."

Rivera told the council the local program currently has nine active clients and has received 45 referrals since September. She said the program’s operational structure includes two groups: an operational work group of frontline providers (outreach workers, case managers, co‑response teams) and a policy coordinating group made up of decision makers who can address systemwide barriers such as housing access.

Hatfield described Catholic Charities’ broader local services that will support LEAD referrals: street outreach, housing assistance, youth transition programs, an outpatient clinic with psychiatric and medication services, crisis walk‑in hours (currently 8 a.m. to noon with plans to expand), and jail case management and transition services. Hatfield offered to leave handouts and asked the council and staff to continue coordinating referrals to the agency.

Council members asked about partner engagement and next steps. Rivera said local law‑enforcement leaders and prosecutors have participated in planning; she specifically cited chiefs and captains from Chelan and Douglas counties and East Wenatchee as partners who have "been willing to come to the table." Rivera requested that city officials invite housing agency leaders and downtown business representatives to participate in the policy coordinating group to help address barriers such as access to shelter and supportive housing.

The presentation emphasized that LEAD is adaptable across jurisdictions and that measurable outcomes and data collection will be part of any local implementation. Hatfield and Rivera said the model’s goals are to increase community safety, reduce the revolving cycle of arrest and release, and provide long‑term supports for people whose criminal charges stem primarily from unmet behavioral‑health needs or extreme poverty.

The council did not take formal action on the presentation; staff and council members thanked the presenters and took handouts for follow‑up coordination.