Project Erase II

The Holyoke Police Department (HPD) proposes to implement
the Expansion of Recovery from Addiction to Substances Efforts II (ERASE-II), which is a
multi-component and multi-discipline project designed to significantly improve efforts to curb
and eliminate the substantial opiate, stimulant, and substance problem in Holyoke, MA with a
goal of a fully sustainable addiction response program in the city. Holyoke is a small, postindustrial
city of 38,238 people with elevated levels of concentrated poverty, illicit drug use and
abuse, drug trafficking and gang activity. ERASE-II is comprised of a multidisciplinary team,
which includes partnerships with community-based service providers Center for Human
Development (CHD), the Holyoke Police Department (HPD), Gandara (a community-based
behavioral health provider), CERTE (our research and evaluation partner), the court, and the
Hampden County Sheriff who oversees the Hampden County Correctional Center in the Holyoke
jurisdiction. The purpose of ERASE-II is to implement a multi-component intervention program
with project activities that include; (1) support individuals with opioid, stimulant, and other illicit
substance issues with interventions to reduce addictions and associated mental health needs, (2)
to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths through prevention and intervention strategies, (3) to
divert individuals with substance use issues, and (4) to reduce substance-related crime in
Holyoke. To meet objectives, we will: implement a team comprised of an Intervention Officer,
two Recovery Coaches, and an Outreach Coordinator. The team will (1) intervene in OD calls,
(2) identify engage and recruit ERASE-II clients, (3) provide direct supports and peer-to-peer
services to clients, (4) refer and connect ERASE-II clients to evidence based programs, including
MAT and Detox programs, (5) divert clients from arrest and divert from incarceration, (6)
connect homeless clients with substance addiction to short term housing, (7) conduct extensive
outreach and community-based support of clients, (8) provide a walk-in support space for
individuals with substance use issues in a central location, (9) provide transitional supports to
clients returning from incarceration, (10) improve data management and case management
capabilities to better support clients, (11) utilize data to investigate harmful criminal practices
(e.g., identification and removal of batches of fentanyl laced drugs), and (12) conduct a research
evaluation of the project.