The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration is applying for a Category 2 statewide area grant in the amount of $6,000,000. The Arkansas COSSAP Project will address the opioid epidemic strategically and continue providing support to areas that have been disproportionally impacted by the abuse of illicit opioids, stimulants, and other substances, as indicated by a high rate of treatment admissions for substances other than alcohol; high rates of overdose-related deaths; and lack of accessibility to treatment and recovery services. The primary focuses of the proposed projects are comprehensive, real-time, regional information collection, analysis, and dissemination; the development of peer recovery services and treatment alternatives to incarceration; and continued Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program (COAP) overdose investigations involving peer recovery services and the implementation of strategies identified in the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Strategic Plan. This project serves specific counties where high rates of opioid deaths have been identified in COAP Category 2; however, the specific subrecipients for the proposed projects have not been selected. The project includes partnerships between the Department of Finance and Administration Office of Intergovernmental Services (DFA-IGS), Department Human Services, Office of State Drug Director, and the Single State Authority, in addition to a new partnership between DFA-IGS and the Arkansas Coroners’ Association. Priority considerations addressed in this application include providing services to rural communities and the fact that the individuals (populations) intended to benefit from the project reside in high-poverty and/or persistent-poverty counties.
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration will: • Support an overdose crime scene team consisting of a criminal investigator and a peer recovery specialist to assist law enforcement task forces/agencies in a minimum of six geographically diverse sites (counties, regions, or localities) within the state. • Increase access and enrollment to treatment, increase education and awareness, and evaluate the grant strategies identified in 25 localities within the state to address offenders who may be opioid abusers. The sites to receive subawards will be selected through a competitive process. Subawardees will be required to use overdoes detection mapping application program. An independent evaluator will be selected after the grant is awarded.
The Hoopa Valley Tribal Court is applying for a Category 1C award in the amount of $600,000. The Hoopa Tribal Wellness Court Pre-Booking Enhancement will support ongoing operations and service expansion under its Adult Tribal Healing to Wellness Court. This project intends to increase and standardize services for individuals with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder. While many of these individuals are court-involved, services will also be made available to anyone seeking assistance, with priority for special populations. The special populations include pregnant women, individuals with or at-risk of HIV/AIDS, older adults caring for a minor child due to foster care involvement, and individuals entering the community from incarceration. This project utilizes a hub-and-spoke model to centralize service delivery for Wellness Court participants and increase favorable outcomes as they journey to health. Funding for medication-assisted treatment is requested to help assure that individuals working through opioid misuse have the support needed through full recovery. This project serves enrolled citizens of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN), and AI/AN citizens enrolled in other tribes living within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. The Hoopa Valley Tribe and its reservations are within Humboldt County, California. The project includes partnerships between the K’ima:w Medical Center, the Court's Probation Services, and the Judicial Project Advisory Team.
The Orange County Health Care Agency applied for a Category 1a rural area grant in the amount of $1,200,000. The Orange County Health Care Agency’s Closing the Gaps by Expanding Access for Reentry Clients program will provide (1) a transfer for those leaving Orange County Central Jail to a peer support recovery specialist for transportation and immediate connection to a case coordinator at one of four MAT and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment county clinics, (2) MAT and SUD treatment services by psychiatrists at the four county clinics, and (3) training by addiction specialist(s) for mental health workers and physicians in the county clinics on SUD and best-practices for working with MAT clients. This project serves Orange County, California, with approximately 3.2 million residents. The project includes partnerships between Correctional Health Services (CHS) and is supported by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Priority considerations addressed in this application include high rates of overdose deaths and a need to increase accessibility to treatment providers in the City of Santa Ana with areas of 25 percent poverty.
The Yurok Tribal Court’s long-term goal is to develop, implement, and enhance diversion programs to address the escalating opioid epidemic within the Yurok community. The Yurok Tribe will be implementing the Yurok Opioid Diversion to Healing (YODH) Program. YODH will complete a Yurok Tribal Action Plan and community assessment, implement a community education and outreach program and workplace opioid awareness program, develop and implement a screening process in collaboration with the Humboldt and Del Norte Sheriffs’ Offices and the Superior Courts, and establish a formalized diversion process.
Boulder County applied for a Category 1b suburban area grant in the amount of $884,014. Project RENTR (Readiness, Engagement, Navigation, Treatment, and Recovery) will implement a range of allowable grant activities, including evidenced-based treatment services, peer recovery support services, pre- and post-booking treatment alternative to incarceration approaches, and court-based interventions. Project RENTR will increase services and treatment options for those with substance use disorders in pretrial/pre-booking, including those benefitting from a new Colorado law that reclassifies a misdemeanor drug felony as a misdemeanor. Project RENTR will also provide access to comprehensive screenings, assessments, case management, and treatment in the jail environment. The project will continue case management services for 90 days during the reentry process and accelerate access to community-based treatment options. This project serves Boulder County, Colorado, which has a population of 326,196. The project includes partnerships with the Boulder County Community Services Department. Priority considerations addressed in this application include high-poverty and persistent-poverty counties and Qualified Opportunity Zones.
The City of Alamosa applied for Category 1c tribal/rural area grant funding in the amount of $599,997. The Specialized Case Management program will provide a non-arrest, community partner pathway to connect addicted individuals to intensive case management and harm-reduction resources using the evidence- based TASC Specialized Case management and Let Everyone Advance with Dignity (LEAD) model. The City of Alamosa is creating a system of care that will allow individuals to receive appropriate levels of service and treatment to address root challenges rather than utilizing a criminal justice system clearly not equipped to address substance use disorder effectively. The Specialized Case Management program will provide a third pathway into intensive case management, service coordination, and connection to harm- reduction resources. This project serves approximately 50,000 residents in the 12th Judicial District. The project includes partnerships between the City of Alamosa, Center for Restorative Programs, and the 12th Judicial District Office of the District Attorney. Priority considerations addressed in this application include the disproportionate impact of opioids and other substances on the region, the specific challenges faced by rural communities, and the high poverty area served by the project.
The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is applying for Category 2 funding in the amount of $5,999,998. The Community and Law Enforcement for Addiction Recovery (CLEAR) Project is a multilateral, community-based opioid overdose response program that will be piloted in six jurisdictions across Connecticut. The CLEAR Project will establish partnerships between community agencies and law enforcement to increase connections to care for people with a substance use disorder (SUD) and create a collaborative response to addiction among community partners. For each jurisdiction, the CLEAR Project will conduct assessments; implement an IPIS/Cordata Integrated System for data tracking and referral management; establish a coordinated safety net of recovery coaches and overdose response teams; support families, including through the identification and referral to services of children impacted by a family member’s SUD; increase access to medication-assisted treatment; and implement a community-based, data-driven dispatch response to surges in overdoses. The goal is to create a replicable model for overdose response that can be scaled in communities across the entire state. Sites were selected based on need, population diversity, and readiness to implement the program. The project serves Bridgeport, Greenwich, Norwalk, Torrington, Winsted, and the State Police Troop B and State Police Troop L service districts; together, the districts represent much of Fairfield and Litchfield counties. The project includes partnerships between DMHAS and the McCall Center for Behavioral Health, Liberation Programs Inc., the Bridgeport Police Department, the Greenwich Police Department, the Norwalk Police Department, the Torrington Police Department, and the Winsted Police Department. The project will engage Dr. Carol Gregory and Dr. Kelly Firesheets as evaluation partners. Priority considerations addressed in this application include a high rates of overdose deaths. The project will also benefit individuals residing in high-poverty areas.
The Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council applied for Category 2 statewide area grant funding in the amount of $2,289,701. The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program will (1) establish a multi-locality naloxone initiative to include continued training for law enforcement personnel and provide funding to assist with the replenishment of the opioid reversal drug; (2) establish and implement a pre-arrest/post-booking diversion program for youth and adults who have a moderate to high risk of substance abuse within Athens-Clarke County; (3) provide K-12 youth in Athens-Clarke County with increased access to education and treatment; and (4) provide a comprehensive, real-time, information collection database for the City of Savannah to expand the pre-arrest diversion program, which is funded through the FY 2018 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site Program (COAP). This project serves serve 23 of Georgia’s 159 counties. The project includes partnerships between Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and City of Savannah.
The Screven County Sheriff's Office applied for Category 1c tribal/rural grant funding in the amount of $587,825. The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program will (1) employ needs assessment tools to identify and prioritize services for jail offenders, (2) expand diversion programs for drug offenders to improve responses to offenders at high risk for overdose or substance abuse and provide alternative-to-incarceration services to those suffering from substance abuse disorders, (3) deliver an evidenced-based prevention program, and (4) offer rigorous program evaluation providing feedback and improvement opportunities. This project serves Screven County, Georgia, with a population of 14,300. The project includes partnerships between the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia, Ogeechee Division; Drug Court for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit; and scientific partners. Priority considerations addressed in this application include a 100 percent rural county, high-poverty area, and Qualified Opportunity Zone.
The Indiana County Leaders Collaboration for Change (ICLCC) will establish and/or build upon existing collaborative relationships between first responders, the criminal justice system, child welfare and foster care, behavioral health, primary care and addiction service providers to identify, develop (or) enhance, and implement specific countywide programs designed to reduce the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other substances on individuals and communities. The counties will achieve this by developing (or) enhancing and implementing one or more of the following within their county: Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) model programs (new to Indiana), prebooking or postbooking treatment alternative-to-incarceration programs, education and prevention programs to connect law enforcement in schools, embed social services with law enforcement to rapidly respond to drug overdoses where children are impacted, and expand access to evidence-based treatment and recovery support services across the criminal justice system. This project serves individuals across Knox, Wayne, Fayette, Floyd, Clark, Allen, and Madison counties. The project includes partnerships between the Division of Mental Health and Addiction and seven county coalitions. Priority considerations addressed in this application include rural, high-poverty, and economically distressed regions.
The Purchase District Health Department applied for Category 1b suburban area grant funding in the amount of $900,000. The Purchase District Health Department program will implement a coordinated response to illicit opioids, psychostimulants, and counterfeit prescription drugs in Purchase. Four types of activities will be implemented: (1) provide naloxone for law enforcement and other first responders; (2) establish law enforcement and other first responder diversion programs; (3) conduct comprehensive, real-time, regional information collection, analysis, and dissemination; and (4) provide recovery support services, including recovery housing and peer recovery support services. This project serves eight counties totaling 196,563 people in western Kentucky. The project includes partnerships between law enforcement, first responders, and public health agencies who are active members of the Purchase Area Health Connections Opioid Task Force.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections proposes to provide a comprehensive plan to develop and implement a medically managed opiate withdrawal program for offenders with opiate use disorders entering Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center (BDCC). The program will provide assessment and medication-assisted therapy (MAT) with buprenorphine; provide pre- and post-release MAT in the form of oral naltrexone and/or the extended-release naltrexone injection for opioid use disorder (OUD) offenders; provide pre-and post-release intensive substance abuse treatment, employing a comprehensive case plan and discharge plan; and provide pre- and post-release peer recovery support services. Partners include: Probation and Parole, Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Behavioral Health, Northwest Louisiana Human Service District, and Ascent Powered by Sober Grid.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department applied for Category 1c rural/tribal area grant funding in the amount of $600,000. The Community Opportunity, Network, Navigation, Exploration, and Connection Team (CONNECT) will provide real-time assistance to individuals who survived, witnessed, or are at risk of an opioid overdose (e.g., family, family drug court participants, children, and community members). Team members will make in-person follow-up visits within 72 hours to individuals who survived or witnessed an opioid overdose, including affected children, to assess health, behavioral, and social needs. In addition, team members will connect individuals to community-based behavioral health, treatment, and recovery support services, while ensuring that opioid overdose survivors and witnesses navigate care across the criminal justice, human services, and educational systems. The program will expand Naloxone availability and appropriate use by first responders and law enforcement personnel, focusing on Naloxone deserts, and establish a system that offers real-time data collection, analysis, and dissemination of key data points to reduce opioid-related deaths. This project serves 87,130 residents in 30 communities spanning two rural counties in Western Massachusetts. The project includes partnerships between research scientists Pamela Kelley and Dr. Sean Varano and other community stakeholders representing law enforcement, the peer recovery community, harm reduction, courts, housing, and other basic human needs sectors.
The Massachusetts Administrative Office of the Trial Court applied for a Category 2 statewide grant in the amount of $6,000,000. Project NORTH (Navigation, Outreach, Recovery, Treatment, and Hope) will increase treatment engagement and retention, decrease risk of overdose, and reduce risk of justice-system involvement. The objectives of the project are to increase access to evidence-based treatment and care coordination, decrease barriers to treatment retention, increase recovery support and recovery capital, and increase access to overdose-prevention education and naloxone distribution. This project serves 62 communities in 9 counties and 2.7 million people. Proposed locations include Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Quincy, Springfield, Taunton, and Worcester. The project includes partnerships between the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, MassHealth (Medicaid office), Department of Public Health, Department of Mental Health, and the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing. Priority considerations in this application include rural regions, high-poverty areas, and Qualified Opportunity Zones.
The Trial Court of Massachusetts, on behalf of six states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), will establish a New England Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI). This project will support comprehensive cross-system planning and collaboration among officials who work in multiple justice and justice related settings while staying focused on the judiciary and judiciary stakeholders (e.g. law enforcement, pre-trial services, the courts, probation and parole, child welfare, reentry, prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), and emergency medical services, as well as health-care providers, public health partners, and agencies that provide substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services). The New England RJOI will also develop and enhance public safety, behavioral health, and public health information-sharing partnerships that leverage key public health and public safety data sets and implement interventions based on this information. The project will have a researcher and is presently completing contract negotiations for these services.
The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is applying for a Category 1 award in the amount of $899,963. The St. Mary’s County Day Reporting Center project will provide community-based services and treatment to offenders under parole/probation in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The offenders will live at home and report to the center on a daily basis. While at the center, the offenders receive various services including substance misuse counseling, anger management, moral reconation therapy, parenting skills, relapse prevention, mental health coordination, job skills, case management, educational classes, life skills, after-care planning, and touch-ups. This project serves a population of roughly 113,510 individuals in St. Mary's County. The project includes partnerships between SMCHD and St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center (SMCDRC).
The Worcester County Health Department (WCHD) is applying for Category 1 funding in the amount of $600,000. The project will enable the countywide expansion of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program launched in July 2021 in Ocean Pines through the addition of two case managers and support staff to assist in data collection and partner coordination. The LEAD program will work with other first responders, including fire department and emergency medical services (EMS) staff members. This expansion will include collaboration with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, targeting high utilizers of law enforcement and other first responder services across Worcester County. The additional case management staff will provide linkages to care, social services, and recovery support services to appropriate individuals identified by fire/EMS professionals and law enforcement officers. The expansion of the LEAD program will increase access to treatment for individuals who are abusing or misusing opioids, stimulants, and other substances and those who have co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. It will also benefit law enforcement and first responder systems by redirecting high utilizers to more appropriate services. The project serves Worcester County, a largely rural county with a population of 52,276. The project will include partnerships between WCHD and the Worcester County Office of the State’s Attorney, the Ocean Pines Police Department, the Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy, and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services. Priority considerations addressed in this application include a high rate of primary treatment admissions for heroin, opioids, and stimulants; high rates of overdose deaths; and a lack of accessibility to treatment providers and facilities.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is applying for a Category 2 statewide area grant in the amount of $6,000,000. The Mississippi Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program will implement universal SUD screening with comprehensive evidence-based SUD interventions delivered through collaboration between patient and provider. They will improve the timeliness and quality of drug overdose information on death certificates and the transfer of this information electronically to support the rapid exchange of death information. The program will select an appropriate web-based naloxone administration training portal to train law enforcement and other first responders on administration of naloxone and expand the availability of naloxone to those that receive training. Also, the program will extend and expand access to evidence-based treatment interventions through MSDH county health departments. This project serves all citizens of the state of Mississippi, a predominately rural state with a population of 2.9 million residents. The project includes partnerships between the Mississippi Public Health Institute, Mississippi Office of Forensics Laboratories, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Priority considerations addressed in this application include rural, high-poverty areas, and Qualified Opportunity Zones.
The Henderson County Health Department, through the County of Henderson, applied for Category 1b grant funding in the amount of $900,000. The funds will be used to expand access to recovery support services. The program seeks to provide peer-delivered services with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery, utilizing North Carolina certified peer support specialists and care coordinators. Services provided by the certified peers include psychosocial rehabilitation, habilitation, family support and training, short-term crisis intervention, and empowerment. This project serves a suburban area or medium-sized county with a population between 100,000 and 500,000. The project includes partnerships between Henderson County’s Behavioral Health Summit, Free Clinix, and Hope RX.
Through the implementation of its Substance Awareness Program, Hyde County Health Department (HCHD) aims to work collaboratively with community partners to reduce substance misuse, overdoses, and deaths, and disease transmissions & infections (related to intravenous drug use) by increasing the utilization of treatment & harm reduction resources; supporting people who use drugs (PWUD) and those in recovery; and providing education to PWUD, their families, and the general community.
The County of Lenoir applied for Category 1b grant funding for the amount of $288,713. The purpose of the project is to improve capacity of the district’s Family Accountability and Recovery Court (FARC) to serve families involved in the family court system due to substance dependence. Project objectives include providing more seamless and comprehensive treatment, as well as recovery services to parents with substance use disorders through increased staff capacity, enhanced training and professional development, and expanding treatment and complementary services. The project also aims at addressing systemic barriers faced by parents with substance use disorders through family transitional housing and expanded transportation assistance, as well as improving FARC performance through evaluation and performance management. This project serves North Carolina’s 8th Judicial District (Lenoir, Wayne, and Green counties). The total population of the district is 201,483. The project includes partnerships between Lenoir County, the 8th Judicial District FARC program, Hope Restorations Inc., Kinston Community Health Center, and the National Center for State Courts. Priority considerations addressed in this application include rural challenges, high and persistent poverty, and improved safety in Qualified Opportunity Zones.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services (NC DHHS) will implement evidence-based strategies to reduce the rate of opioid overdose associated with individuals involved in the local justice system. NC DHHS will competitively subaward nine sites to implement pre-arrest diversion programs, jail-based overdose prevention education and naloxone upon release, jail-based medication assisted treatment, and connections to care upon release. Six sites will be new projects and three sites will involve expanding or enhancing existing projects. The state will collaborate with Dr. Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Social Medicine as the research partner for the project.
Surry County Government applied for Category 1c grant funding in the amount of $595,568. The project will establish an accessible continuum of care to reduce the impact of substance use on the community. Currently, two essential components are lacking in the community: (1) data analysis to link needs, treatment, and services; apprise cost effectiveness; and track impact outcomes countywide; and (2) transportation assistance for people needing treatment. This proposal outlines a plan to implement these two critical elements. This project serves Surry County, North Carolina, which has a population of 73,232. The project includes partnerships between preventive, treatment, recovery, social, and justice service agencies in the county. Priority considerations addressed in this application include: rural, Qualified Opportunity Zones, a high rate of treatment admissions, high rates of overdose and overdose death, and a high rate of drug-related crime.
The New Jersey State Parole Board (NJSPB) is applying for a Category 2 award in the amount of $3,278,813. The FY 2021 COSSAP-New Jersey State Parole Board project will provide peer recovery-based services to individuals with substance use disorder who are under parole supervision, as well as expand Rutgers University’s current Intensive Recovery Treatment Support (IRTS) program and create a team of providers specifically dedicated to the needs of individuals under NJSPB supervision. The target population to be served under this grant will be a minimum of 110 adult offenders released from New Jersey state correctional facilities to parole supervision residing in any one of New Jersey’s 21 counties. Medium-to-high-risk offenders will be identified prior to their release from prison and will be referred, when released on parole, to receive IRTS services with the aid of a Peer Health Navigator. The project includes a partnership with Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. Priority considerations addressed in this application include protecting the public from crime and evolving threats, building trust between law enforcement and the community, and serving individuals residing in high-poverty areas.
The New Mexico Human Services Department applied for Category 2 statewide area grant funding in the amount of $6,000,000. The implementation and enhancement of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs in New Mexico will reduce criminal behavior, decrease criminal justice and emergency health service utilization, and improve public safety by supporting the development of LEAD in tribal and nontribal jurisdictions. The project aims to reduce drug overdose and improve the quality of life for people with a substance use disorder while supporting a coordinated collaborative response to behavioral health among criminal justice, social service, and public health systems. This project serves approximately 900,000 residents in New Mexico. The project includes partnerships between Bernalillo County, Santa Fe County, Taos County, Lea County, San Juan County and San Miguel County. Priority considerations addressed in this application include the high rate of individuals in New Mexico jails and prisons estimated to have an untreated substance use disorder and the high rates of racial disparity in corrections.
Sierra County in New Mexico will develop a crisis intervention team to assist law enforcement officers in developing a law enforcement diversion program, provide jail-based opioid and behavioral health services, provide skill-building and treatment, assist incarcerated individuals transitioning to community-based services once released from custody, add community behavior health treatment planning and services, and conduct opioid education programs in schools. This project will engage Ann Hays Egan of New Ventures Consulting as the research partner for this project.
The Seneca Nation of Indians applied for Category 1c tribal/rural area grant funding in the amount of $595,366.30. The Seneca Nation’s Native Connections Clubhouse Program (SNNCP) will provide opioid, stimulant, and substance abuse education, prevention, and intervention programming that connects law enforcement agencies with K-12 students and provides ongoing community support systems for at-risk youth. Objective one is to provide school administrations, students, and families with access to law enforcement agencies through the School Resource Officer Program; connecting K-12 students to opioid, stimulant, and substance abuse education, prevention, and intervention programming and resources. Objective two is to provide Native American youth and families with access to evidenced-based opioid, stimulant, and substance abuse prevention and intervention strategies/tools/programs beyond traditional school/business hours by opening an after-hour’s safe place, the Clubhouse, for a minimum of 25 hours per week on the Allegany Territory. This project serves the Seneca Nation of Indians Tribe. The project includes partnerships between Lakeshore Central Schools and Silver Central Schools.
St. Lawrence County applied for Category 1b suburban area grant funding in the amount of $900,000. The St. Lawrence County Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSAP) utilizes patient-centered care to facilitate access to substance use treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder who are not currently getting the needed care. The program will expand harm-reduction services and recovery support opportunities, as well as increase access to communicable disease testing and preventive care to individuals in high-risk populations. Also, the program will provide essential patient-centered addiction services for the people at greatest risk for overdose. This project serves the 109,558 residents of St. Lawrence County. The project includes partnerships between St. Lawrence County Community Services, St. Lawrence Health Systems, Seaway Valley Prevention Council, the Maximizing Independent Living Center, and New Hope Transformation Ministries (dba Grace House). Priority considerations addressed in this application include Qualified Opportunity Zones and the specific challenges that rural communities face.
Butler County of Ohio applied for Category 1B grant funding in the amount of $900,000. The Butler County COSSAP project aims to reduce the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other substances on individuals within its communities, through reducing the number of overdose fatalities, as well as mitigating the impacts of on crime victims by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives. This project serves Butler County, home to a population of 382,000. The project includes a partnership with Miami University’s Center for School-based Mental Health Programs. Priority considerations addressed in this application include rural challenges in a high-poverty area and Qualified Opportunity Zone.
Erie County will develop the Drug Overdose Response Team (DORT). DORT will be available 24/7 to respond on scene to calls about drug overdoses whenever first responders are involved, provide short-term case management, and conduct intensive follow up. DORT will serve the geographic area of Erie County with a population just under 75,000. This project includes partnerships with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office and Erie County Prosecutor’s Office.
Hocking County is applying for Category 1 funding in the amount of $539,464. The Hocking County Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Project will expand the county’s deflection programming from a Quick Response Team (QRT) called QRT Hocking Overdose Partnership Endeavor (HOPE) into one that partners with outside agencies by funding positions that link students and families to treatment and services for substance use disorders. The project will subcontract with a mental health practitioner within the Logan-Hocking School District (LHSD) and a deflection specialist within the Hocking County Health Department who will work directly with overdose victims and their families or those identified as being at a higher risk for having an overdose, as well as monitor a new crisis hotline within the health department and facilitate outreach and education into the community. LHSD will house the mental health practitioner within the high school and middle school in order to meet with students who have encountered an overdose or drug use, either among themselves or their families. The practitioner will be responsible for participating in the Handle with Care Program, an evidenced-based program designed to assist children in their school setting if a law enforcement encounter has happened inside their home. A multifaceted public awareness and education campaign will be created to increase the number of families who call the hotline. The goal of the project is to expand collaboration and partnerships among providers and agencies in Hocking County and to expand the existing framework of services to include stationary positions within fixed, strategic locations where students and families affected by the drug crisis frequent. The project serves Hocking County, a rural area with a population 28,264. The project includes partnerships with the LHSD and the Hocking County Health Department. The project will engage Wes Gilkey as a research partner. Priority considerations addressed in this application include the promotion of civil rights, support to crime victims, and building of trust between law enforcement and the community.
The Muscogee Creek Nation Department of Health (MCNDH) is applying for Category 1 funding in the amount of $600,000. The MCNDH COSSAP Program will work across Muscogee Creek Nation (MCN) tribal programs to identify adult citizens who are at risk or suffering from opioid use disorder (OUD); train law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel, and rural volunteer firefighters throughout the MCN reservation; and expand treatment for patients. MCNDH will partner with the MCN Lighthorse Police Department (LHP) to administer the grant. The project will hire a project coordinator and a client navigator to establish a relationship with a medication-assisted treatment provider; provide annual professional training to all providers at all tribal health clinics; review and update policies and procedures on opioid treatment and administration; and review the process to identify, screen, assess, and refer OUD patients. The project will also purchase 300 naloxone kits to provide to law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel, and rural volunteer firefighters upon completion of naloxone administration training; purchase two 38-gallon drug disposal bins to be placed at two locations within the reservation for disposal of unwanted, unused, or expired controlled substances; and purchase 2,500 drug disposal system pouches. The project aims to provide case management and peer support for at least 100 patients; training for 300 law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel, and rural volunteer firefighters throughout the MCN reservation on how to identify an opioid overdose and how to administer naloxone; and training for 500 MCNDH staff, law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel, and rural volunteer firefighters to identify patients for potential OUD. The project serves the Muscogee Creek Nation, which has a population of 91,053 across 11 counties in east-central Oklahoma. The project includes partnerships between MCNDH, LHP, the MCN’s Social Services Program, the Indian Child Welfare Program, and the Family Violence Prevention Program. Priority considerations addressed in this application include a high rate of primary treatment admissions for heroin, opioids, and stimulants; high rates of overdose deaths; and a lack of accessibility to treatment providers and facilities.
The Crook County Health Department’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Prevention Program will identify and implement an evidence-based law enforcement and first responder diversion program; build capacity with the school district and law enforcement for education and prevention programs for K-12; enhance real-time data collection, analysis, and dissemination; increase access and accessibility to harm reduction strategies such as naloxone distribution and medication take-back programs; and assess needs and capacity for supporting medication-assisted treatment within the local jail, in addition to local recovery and support services. This project serves Crook County, a rural community in Oregon with a population of 25,562. The project includes partnerships between the Crook County Health Department, the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, the Prineville Police Department, BestCare Treatment Services, Rimrock Trails Treatment Services, the Crook County School District, Central Oregon Health Counsel, the Pain Standards Taskforce, St. Charles Health Systems, and Crook County Fire and Rescue. Those who will benefit from CCHD’s COSSAP project include individuals with opioid use and other substance use disorders, community partner organizations, and the community as prevention curriculum is implemented into Crook County School District K-12 and outreach and educational materials are provided to the entire population.
The entire county of Lancaster is 98,012 residents. The proposed project will provide resources for training of every law enforcement officer in the county on LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion); promote visible prescription drug takeback strategies; and assist with training, handling, and distribution of naloxone. Priority considerations include the presence of a Qualified Opportunity Zone, poverty, and rural challenges. This application is for Category 1c grant funding.
The purpose of this program is to design and implement a collaborative intervention strategy that provides (pre-booking or post-booking) treatment alternative-to-incarceration programs serving individuals at high risk for overdose or substance abuse utilizing evidence-based recovery support services (transitional/recovery housing and peer support) and medication-assisted treatment (MAT). To meet these objectives, the proposed initiative will provide: 1) assessment-based individualized treatment plans, 2) MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment), 3) transitional housing at the OARS Center, 4) cognitive behavioral therapy, and 5) peer support services. Services will be delivered in the Oconee Addiction Recovery & Solutions Center located adjacent to the Oconee Law Enforcement Center that, as a communitywide enterprise, was recently renovated for this purpose. OARS will coordinate with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Detention Center, the Oconee County Drug Court, the 10th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and the Center for Family Medicine to deliver the proposed initiative through: 1) the development of a comprehensive, locally driven evidence-based response to opioids, stimulants, and other substances with expanded access to supervision, treatment, and recovery support services; 2) supporting law enforcement and other first responder diversion programs for nonviolent drug offenders to improve responses to offenders at high risk for overdose or substance abuse and provide alternative-to-incarceration services to those suffering from substance abuse disorders; 3) needs assessment tools to identify and prioritize services for jail offenders; 4) the use of evidenced-based treatment practices; and 5) rigorous program evaluation by Clemson University providing feedback and improvement opportunities.
Cocke County Government, located in the rural Appalachian Mountain region of eastern Tennessee, applied for grant funding under Subcategory 1b in the amount of $899,488. This project serves Tennessee's 4th Judicial District, which includes Cocke, Sevier, Jefferson, and Grainger counties and has a total combined population of 212,069. The purpose of the proposed Tennessee Recovery Oriented Compliance Strategy (TN-ROCS) Enhancement and Evaluation project is (1) to increase the capacity of this innovative court-based intervention program to link individuals across the district at high risk of overdose to appropriate, evidence-based behavioral health treatment and recovery support services; and (2) to independently validate the TN-ROCS model, such that key findings related to program quality and implementation fidelity can inform current and future data-driven expansion efforts. This project includes partnerships between Cocke County, 4th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Duane Slone, Dr. Stephen Loyd, Dr. Jennifer Anderson, American Institutes for Research, and Rulo Strategies. All four priority considerations are addressed in this application. Cocke County is a geographically isolated rural area that is plagued by persistently high rates of poverty, substance use, and overdose fatality. Additionally, one census tract within Cocke County (9207.00) has been designated as a Qualified Opportunity Zone.
The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation applied for Category 1c grant funding in the amount of $339,519, and proposes a Chehalis Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, Substance Abuse Site-based Program to be run by Tsapowum, the Chehalis Tribal Behavioral members of the Chehalis Reservation, which has a population of 922. The Chehalis COSSAP proposes to increase the Chehalis tribal response to opioids in the tribal community by providing a comprehensive MAT program by distributing Narcan to tribal first responders, including Chehalis Tribal Police Officers, staff at the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center, and staff of Tsapowum. These specially chosen departments are first responders to overdose, as well as members of the Chehalis Tribal Opioid Task Force. These departments support the Chehalis COSSAP goal of reducing overdoses by half and overdose deaths to zero by 2023. Priority considerations addressed in this application include rural and high poverty areas.
In the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-Based Program application, the Makah Tribe is proposing to utilize funding under Category 1: Local or Tribal Applicants, Subcategory 1c. The applicant intends to utilize funds from this application to continue funding the two FTE positions from the previous application: the COSSAP case manager and one coordinator, who will implement the LEAD program, develop MAT protocols, and help further expand the Sisuk Houses. There are no priority considerations for this application.
The City of West Allis Fire Department (WAFD) is applying for Category 1 funding in the amount of $900,000. The Mobile Integrated Health MAT Access Advocate Program (MAAP) will expand the range and capability of the West Allis Fire Department’s Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) team to facilitate MIH and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services to every Milwaukee County municipality, as well as support the development of training materials to allow for application of sustainable MIH practices across the entire county. WAFD’s MIH team pairs a community paramedic and a certified peer recovery support specialist who provide targeted outreach and facilitate new enrollments or reengagements to MAT services, reaching the opioid use disorder (OUD) population via either real-time, 24/7 response to overdose emergencies or visitation to patients referred to the program from local and regional partners. MAAP will connect with each participating municipality’s local framework to establish a referral process and connect the local effort to broader regional efforts. A local hospital will provide MAT (including buprenorphine induction), mental health screening with counseling, and warm handoffs to primary care and community MAT clinics. MAPP will educate police, fire, and health departments in all Milwaukee County suburbs on how they can adopt the West Allis OUD outreach practices. MAAP will also work with county stakeholders to ensure children impacted by substance misuse receive required services. The project serves Milwaukee County, which comprises 19 municipalities and has a population of 945,726. The project includes partnerships with the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney, the Milwaukee County House of Corrections, the Milwaukee County Opioid Fatality Review team, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Milwaukee Fire Department Opioid Response Initiative, the Wisconsin Department of Health Service, and the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management. The project will engage Dr. Jennifer Hernandez-Meier of the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin as the primary research and evaluation partner. Priority considerations addressed in this application include a high rate of primary treatment admissions for heroin, opioids, and stimulants, high rates of overdose deaths, and a lack of accessibility to treatment providers and facilities.
The Justice and Community Services (JCS) Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services (DAS), which is the State Administrative Agency for criminal justice-related activities in the state, is applying under Category 2 for grant funding in the amount of $6,000,000 under the FY 2020 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSAP) grant program. The purpose of the project is two-fold. First, the project will establish a cutting-edge approach to pre-arrest diversion by integrating quick response teams, LEAD, and the West Virginia Angel Initiative (Angel) to establish the WV QLA Early Intervention Program. This program will be implemented into the following nine counties: Berkeley, Cabell, Kanawha, McDowell, Mercer, Monongalia, Raleigh, Wood, and Wyoming. The total population of these counties is 763,728 and accounts for 61 percent of the overdose fatalities within West Virginia. Second, the project will assist county commissions and non-profit organizations to assist with the recruitment, retention, and training of peer recovery coaches throughout the state. Coaches will be required to possess the following credentials to be funded under this initiative: 1) a high school diploma or recognized equivalent; 2) experience with substance use challenges; 3) involved with a personal support and/or recovery system; 4) reside in stable, recovery-oriented housing the last six (6) months; 5) have no involvement with the legal system within the last six (6) months and/or pending legal issues; and 7) no intensive behavioral health involvement within the last six (6) months, including intensive services, detoxification services, and/or residential treatment services. JCS has partnered with the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy and West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Behavioral Health in the implementation, monitoring, oversight, and sustainment of the proposed project. Priority considerations addressed in this application include rural and high-poverty areas.
The Justice and Community Services (JCS) section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services seeks to: • Expand and improve the state’s Handle with Care (HWC) initiative. The HWC initiative supports children exposed to trauma and violence through improved communication and collaboration between law enforcement and schools/child care agencies and mental health providers, and connects families, schools, and communities to mental health services; • Expand and enhance the West Virginia law enforcement assisted diversion program, which diverts those suspected of low-level drug and prostitution offenses away from jail and prosecution into case management, legal coordination, and other supportive services. This aspect of the proposed project will focus heavily on the counties of Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Webster, and Wirt, which currently lack diversion programs; and • Enhance and expand telehealth services for those in underserved and geographically isolated communities. Similar to the diversion aspect, the telehealth aspect of the proposed project would expand services to Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Webster, and Wirt Counties. These services will include psychiatric evaluations with treatment plan development, individual and group counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication-assisted treatment (including buprenorphine and naltrexone), and peer recovery support services. JCS has partnered with the West Virginia Office of Research and Strategic Planning, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Behavioral Health, and the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy in the implementation, monitoring, oversight, and sustainment of the proposed project.
The Cheyenne Regional Medical Center proposes a pre-arrest law enforcement assisted diversion program (LEAD) program. The project will include a part-time coordinator and a full-time case manager who will hold primary responsibility for planning and implementation of LEAD and client case management. Project partners include Laramie County, Cheyenne Police Department, Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, Cheyenne Municipal Court, and treatment providers.
