Our Work
PAD is an alternative approach to community safety and wellness that engages in creative problem-solving to respond to community concerns and addresses people’s human needs with dignity, patience, and care.
The cycle of arrest and incarceration does not address the actual issues people are struggling with.
People in Atlanta who are in need of support are being arrested and jailed. Arresting and jailing people who are causing disturbances or harm as a result of substance use, mental health challenges, or survival activities doesn’t serve our communities. Instead, it pushes people even further to the margins, away from the connections and resources that support recovery and wellness.
Our communities continue to suffer from a lack of housing options and access to income, mental health services, medical care, and substance use recovery services. There is widespread agreement: we need a different approach if we want safer and healthier communities for all.
Our Approach
WORKING FOR OUR COMMUNITY
PAD is an alternative approach to community safety and wellness that engages in creative problem-solving to respond to community concerns and addresses people’s human needs with dignity, patience, and care.
Participant Stories
Impact in Atlanta
Engagement & Advocacy
OUR ATLANTA COMMUNITY
PAD is an active member of the communities we serve in order to collaboratively develop new approaches to community safety and wellness. We participate in neighborhood meetings, problem-solve with local businesses, and conduct street-based outreach and relationship-building with community members surviving on the streets or in the informal economy.
PAD advocates for policies that increase access to housing and services, and reduce the criminalization of poverty, marginalization, and behavioral health concerns.
PAD is a member of the Fulton County Justice and Mental Health Taskforce and the Reimagining ACDC Taskforce.
