Massachusetts EOPSS Diversion to Care (DivCare) project

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts proposes to develop and implement
the Diversion to Care (DivCare) project; a responsive and adaptive approach to reduce exposure
to the criminal justice system and alleviate racial inequity by strengthening regional
implementation of interventions along the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) grounded in
community input and participation in project design, implementation, and evaluation. The goals of DivCare are to improve statewide coordination and increase access to harm
reduction, addiction treatment, and recovery services in 6 overdose burdened communities
through reduced justice system involvement. Project activities will include: (1) statewide coordination to maximize existing resources, improve data surveillance systems, and better
coordinate responses to events such as seizures and clinic closures; (2) incorporation of
communities experiencing racial and ethnic inequities in project design, implementation, and
evaluation; (3) implementation of interventions that reduce exposure to the criminal justice
system and focus on racial inequities; (4) integration of peers and people with lived experience in
intervention activities; and (5) expanded utilization of evidence-based harm reduction, addiction
treatment, and recovery support resources across the intercept points. Site selection factors will
include readiness, capacity, need, and geography. Expected outcomes include: improved realtime
data collection and data sharing agreements at the state and local level; expansion of
culturally specific interventions advised by a community feedback process; integration of people
with lived experience into the intersecting criminal justice and addiction care continuum;
strengthened regional coordination of community-based harm reduction, treatment, and recovery
services across the intercept points. Local jurisdictions and their community residents who are at risk of both criminal justice involvement and harms from the use of opioids, stimulants, and
other substances are the intended beneficiaries of the project. Subrecipient activities will include
creation of data-sharing agreements between partners, using SIM map workshops to identify
intercept points in need of strengthening, integration of culturally specific advisory groups
including peers with lived experience to approve proposed intervention activities, and enhanced
utilization of evidence-based harm reduction, addiction treatment, and recovery support services
across the intercept points focused on racial inequities. This project will be aided by training and
technical assistance plan using nationally renowned experts in addiction, criminal justice, and
SIM mapping. The only active BJA-COSSAP grant award at the state jurisdiction level, the
EOTC managed Project NORTH (awarded FY20), will end 9/30/23.