Adopting Innovations—Lessons Learned from a Peer-Based Hospital Diversion Program

Moves to bridge the gap between research and practice have heightened interest in how service innovations are adopted. This paper reports on a peer-based hospital diversion program that provided short-term respite care, clinical monitoring, connection or re-connection to other mental health services, and peer support. The program was successful in providing services to the target population and was viewed as highly desirable by service recipients and clinical agencies. However, full adoption of this innovation was not realized and it closed barely a year after opening. Lessons learned from both the “life” and “death” of this program are offered.