SOUTH CAROLINA COSSUP INITIATIVE

The S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) requests $7,000,000 from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance FY 2023 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-based Program (Category 2: Competition ID C-BJA-2023-00020-PROD) to support law enforcement diversion programs in six diverse jurisdictions across South Carolina (population 5,282,634). The South Carolina COSSUP Initiative is a collaborative plan between DAODAS (the Single State Authority and cabinet-level agency under the Governor’s Office); six diverse law enforcement agencies serving Chester County (population 32,294), Richland County (population 416,147), Georgetown County (population 63,921), Sumter County (population 105,556), Myrtle Beach (population 37,100), and West Columbia (population 17,466); substance use disorder (SUD) service providers, and university scientists to serve as model programs for diverting individuals from the criminal justice system and enhancing connections to services for people with SUDs and people who use drugs. Per the objectives of Category 2, the Initiative will develop a statewide law enforcement model response to substance use problems by: 1) establishing model deflection and diversion programs across six diverse jurisdictions in the state (27% of budget); 2) embedding social workers into law enforcement agencies to provide case management and support services (23% of budget); 3) delivering evidence-based substance use disorder and co-occurring (mental health and substance use) disorders treatment, including medication-assisted treatment (39% of budget); and 4) conducting a scientific mixed-methods program evaluation providing feedback and identifying improvement opportunities. To aid in implementing this plan, recovery community stakeholders from across the state will be included on the multidisciplinary South Carolina Deflection and Diversion Coordinating Council, which will serve as a permanent standing body with the mission of increasing cooperation and collaboration to sustain diversion and recovery efforts (see memoranda of understanding). The project will address issues related to racial equity and the removal of barriers to access and opportunity for communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality through the implementation of Fair and Impartial Policing training for law enforcement and treatment services targeting underserved minority communities. The project will include a strong research-practitioner partnership with the Center for Criminal Justice and Social Research at Clemson University to provide a scientific mixed-methods program evaluation to provide empirical feedback for program improvement and dissemination of process and outcome findings to the law enforcement and research communities.