Skip to main content

Educate Public Safety and Criminal Justice Stakeholders About Substance Use and Misuse

Increase the Capacity of Law Enforcement and Other First Responders, Criminal Justice Professionals, and Behavioral Health Providers to Identify and Effectively Respond to Individuals With Substance Use Disorders.

Effective responses to illicit substance use and misuse include comprehensive training for the public safety, criminal justice, and behavioral health professionals who encounter its devastating effects daily. Law enforcement and other first responders frequently find themselves on the front lines, providing care and comfort for overdose victims and families. Criminal justice professionals in a wide range of settings (e.g., jail, court, probation) must manage the influx of individuals with substance use disorders in their systems. Behavioral health providers need the clinical knowledge and tools to help individuals with substance use disorders access the full range of evidence-based treatment services and supports. Communities must support training to ensure that all of these professionals have both the capacity to identify individuals with, or at risk of, substance use disorders and the ability to meet treatment needs through linkage to or delivery of services and recovery supports. Comprehensive training includes education on the science of addiction, as well as information on evidence-based opioid and substance use disorder treatments, to address underlying stigma and bias that may prevent effective access to treatment.

COSSUP supports activities that:

  • Implement trainings that increase the knowledge and capacity of public safety, criminal justice, and behavioral health professionals to identify and respond to individuals with opioid use, substance use, and co-occurring disorders.

Return to
Topics List

topic-list_img See Topics List

COSSUP GRANTEES EDUCATING PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT SUBSTANCE USE AND MISUSE

Grantee Projects

Native Village of Port Heiden

Alaska

The Meshik Soul Healing Project will provide screening for substance misuse and referrals to treatment and will incorporate a cultural camp in the Native Village of Port Heiden and provide for appropriate services within the context of the Aleut, Alaska, Native/American Indian culture. The project will serve the villages of Perryville, Pilot Point, Port Heiden, and Ugashik. The villages have tribal councils, which function as tribal governments and are rural communities.
Read More

Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration

Arkansas

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration proposes to develop a statewide comprehensive opioid abuse plan that will include goals, objectives, and strategies addressing opioid abuse and misuse. The goals are to develop resources, recommend evidence-based practices, and create online tools that will aid Arkansas communities in reducing opioid abuse/misuse and related deaths and assist offenders with a history of opioid abuse. To meet the proposed objectives, the planning process will be facilitated by the planning consultant and consist of collaboration and partnerships from across state agencies and local entities. The required collaborative partner for this project is the Department of Human Services/State Drug Director, the state agency responsible for alcohol and substance abuse services. Other partnering agencies include the Department of Human Services/Office of the State Drug Director; representatives from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA); the Administrative Office of the Courts; Arkansas Community Correction (ACC), Probation and Parole; Department of Human Services, Child Welfare; Governor’s Office–Senior Advisor for Child Welfare; Arkansas Sheriff’s Association; Arkansas Chief’s Association; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC); Arkansas Municipal League (an association of city/county governments); the City of El Dorado; and the City of Marianna. After the plan is finalized and approved, the state will move towards the implementation phase. The state anticipates providing up to 25 subawards to localities/communities. Representatives from these localities/communities will be trained, utilize developed resources, implement strategies identified in the comprehensive plan, and become designated opioid task forces.
Read More

City of Miami

Florida

The Miami Police Department will implement a diversion program that follows the law enforcement-assisted diversion (LEAD) model. Officers who encounter a subject will have the authority to offer a 12-month treatment program as an alternative to arrest and incarceration. If a person agrees to participate, he or she must sign a legally binding treatment agreement. The Behavioral Science Research Institute will serve as the project’s research partner.
Read More
Request-COSSUP-TTA-bg

Pick Your Pathway Pathway