opioid crisis

CHJ conducted a workshop for the COAP/COSSAP National Forum about First Responder Diversion Programs on March 10, 2020. The workshop discussed potential topics and presentation methods for consideration in the diversion curriculum, including cross-training for first responders and behavioral health staff. This workshop is designed to address the need for first responder training specific to diversion programs for individuals with an opioid and substance use disorder.

This training was delivered at the COSSAP National Forum on March 11. The purpose of this workshop was to present the fundamentals of case management with an emphasis on creating additional support for individuals with an opioid use disorder referred from first responders. This workshop covered the critical role case management can plays in diversion by linking people from first responders to treatment and recovery by bridging the communication gap between the criminal justice and behavioral health systems.

First responders such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) professionals provide life-saving services all day, every day. However, the nature of their work puts them in constant risk – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Compounding an already stressful job, first responders face the front lines of the opioid crisis and are being profoundly affected by it.

The current opioid epidemic has devastated families and communities and shattered lives. While the human toll of the opioid crisis is well established, its adverse effects on the goals of human services programs such as family stability, child well-being, and self-sufficiency are less well understood. Human services programs provide essential services to families and individuals who are struggling with opioid and other substance use disorders.

Reviewing and discussing data with stakeholders can be challenging because people have different comfort levels with data and statistics. Sometimes the most effective way to communicate data findings is through the creation of effective data visualizations. Data dashboards have become popular because they can be easily explained and interpreted by a variety of users. In some cases, data dashboards allow the end user to manipulate the data and isolate individual variables, allowing further exploration and knowledge building.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Institute for Intergovernmental Research is releasing the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Grant solicitation. BJA is sponsoring this initiative in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Justice Institute (SJI). This is part of a series of demonstration projects funded under the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program. These demonstration projects are designed to build local capacity, foster cross-sector collaboration, and support innovation.

The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) will assist the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the National Opioid and Emerging Drug Threats Policy and Practice Forum on July 18 – 19, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The forum will take place at the Marriott Metro Center.