Project Possibilities: A Collaborative Alabama Criminal Justice Project

Project Abstract Summary: Project Possibilities is developing, implementing, and expanding a combination of 1) law enforcement diversion programs, 2) comprehensive and real-time data collection, analysis, and dissemination, and 3) introducing Medication-Assisted Treatment and peer support recovery support services into existing systems of service in the State of Alabama across Calhoun, Dekalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, and Walker counties, serving an approximate population of 2,015,797 Alabamians. The project will serve utilizers identified within and across the criminal justice system including those in need of diversion from and preventing the return to the criminal justice system. Goal 1: To expand and implement diversion programs/services that provide treatment and recovery support to divert and prevent the return of opioid, stimulant, and other substance abusing/addicted individuals from/to the criminal justice system. Goal 2: To extend the state data collection (Central Data Repository CDR) of substance use information to include non-opioid substances and expand current partnerships to enhance data-sharing and accessibility, analysis, and dissemination of real time data. Goal 3: Expand resources to rural areas thus bridging the gap of care from urban and suburban areas to rural areas, including developing and implementing innovative and evidence-based models of MAT services for individuals interacting with the criminal justice system. Goal 4: Monitor the impact/outcomes of interventions, spreading successful intervention statewide at the completion of the project period, to reduce incarceration, recidivism, morbidity and mortality for adults with a substance use disorder who are cycling through the criminal justice system.