Project Connect is conveniently located in Central San Diego and Vista, with the ability to serve clients throughout San Diego County.

Project Connect is an innovative program for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are currently involved or at a high risk to become involved in the criminal justice system. Project Connect accepts referrals for people 12 and over who are actively being served by the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC). Project Connect staff expect that many of these individuals will have concurrent mental health and substance abuse issues, fall into the mild to moderate range of intellectual disabilities, and have committed crimes against other persons or property. Project Connect uses a culturally competent, person-centered delivery model that meets the multiple criminal justice and mental health needs of this population. The Project Connect team coordinates a system of support in the mental health and forensic communities to assist SDRC participants in their navigation of these two unique and complex systems.

Project Connect provides individual and group counseling in areas such as emotional regulation skills, impulse control, substance abuse, medication, and understanding of mental health. Staff educates, supports, and links participants who are involved with the criminal justice system, in addition to helping participants increase skills and awareness of consequences to prevent reoffending. The multi-disciplinary team collaborates with the Courts, Probation, District Attorney, Public Defender, and City Attorney’s offices to develop strategies of compliance with their criminal justice plan. Project Connect facilitates access to community-based mental health services while developing and implementing strategies to coordinate care with hospital discharge planners, PERT, or other EMS personnel. The Project Connect team also shares relevant information with the SDRC service coordinator and attends team meetings to share participant goals, progress, and compliance with mental health care and criminal justice mandates.