City of Columbus: Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team EMS Outreach Program (RREACT)

The City of Columbus Department of Public Safety proposes to implement
The Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT) program. The purpose is to
expand comprehensive, multi-disciplinary first responder led outreach with the goal of
stabilizing the household and reducing barriers and increasing access to drug and/or behavioral
treatment for the individuals with substance use disorder. RREACT program activities include
connecting overdose survivors with evidence-based harm reduction services and licensed
treatment programs; addressing healthcare disparities and increase access to overdose
prevention, treatment, and recovery resources for minority groups; connecting families with
trauma specialists to rapidly respond to the needs of children impacted by drug overdose;
implementing drug take-back campaigns in partnership with the DEA and local community
organizations; expanding access to peer recovery and case management services for individuals
with substance use disorder and justice involvement and their families; developing and
implementing harm reduction and drug prevention campaigns for K-12 students within the
vulnerable communities. Expected outcomes include: the development of culturally appropriate
protocol for SUD/OUD EMS outreach protocols, harm reduction and case management protocols
and drug prevention campaigns for at-risk youth; increased provision of evidence-based
treatment for individuals with substance use disorder; decreased rate of opioid misuse and drug
overdose death rate, including prescription and illicit opioid overdose death rates; increased
access to critical child and kinship supports for kids and other caregivers in the home impacted
by opioid use. RREACT program will serve individuals who experienced a non-fatal overdose
and their households residing in Franklin County in the city of Columbus. RREACT actively
partners with local treatment providers, public health departments, justice agencies and Franklin
County’s Family and Children First Council to achieve desired project outcomes. Mighty Crow,
Inc. serves as the evaluator for the proposed project.