Susan Alrifai

Rural, multi-jurisdictional communities face challenges developing coordinated responses that connect people with substance use and mental health needs to services instead of the justice system. We evaluated the action planning (AP) process for Empower, a multi-jurisdictional, police-led deflection program serving six counties in West Central Illinois, developed as part of a statewide Illinois deflection initiative. Deflection initiatives create formal pathways linking people with substance use and mental health needs to treatment and supportive services. The Empower program was developed through six days of guided action planning involving local law enforcement, service providers, and community stakeholders. This process culminated in a written action plan outlining program goals, strategies, and implementation steps. To evaluate the AP process, we conducted structured field observations across all AP sessions and administered daily surveys to participants assessing collaboration, engagement, and perceptions of program feasibility and sustainability. Findings indicate that participants were highly engaged and reported strong collaboration during AP, while also identifying challenges related to uneven participation across counties and sectors, limited service availability, and resource constraints characteristic of predominantly rural regions. The findings reflect participants’ perceptions during the action-planning process and do not assess program outcomes. Based on the findings, we offer three recommendations to support implementation: strengthen participation and representation during planning and early implementation, identify strategies to mitigate service gaps in rural communities, and clarify structures for collaboration and accountability across jurisdictions.