Santa Fe County engage program

Santa Fe County is known for its beauty, rich cultural heritage, unique and prolific art scene, and southwestern cuisine. However, the community and the rest of New Mexico (NM) has suffered for decades from a high rate of substance-related consequences, drug overdose deaths, and poly-substance use. Data requested from the New Mexico Department of Health on overdoses reveal increases over 50% for fentanyl and methamphetamine-related fatalities in Santa Fe County and NM over the past few years. Fentanyl fatalities increased by 212% in Santa Fe County and by 333% in NM from 2019 to 2021. Methamphetamine fatalities increased by 80% in NM between 2019 and 2021. Total drug overdose increased 40% in Santa Fe County and by 66% in NM between 2019 and 2021. Local rates are higher than the U.S. 
 
Santa Fe County’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program provides long-term, intensive, mobile case management to people with substance use and/or mental health challenges, who are justice involved. The program was awarded Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Site-Based Program (COSSAP) funding in 2020-2023 to plan and implement a LEAD site in Santa Fe County.  
 
The program has been operational since January 2021. Law enforcement diversions and referrals are generated from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the Edgewood Police Department in southern Santa Fe County. Community referrals were added in 2023 from Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility (SFCADF) to address intercept 4 of the Sequential Intercept Model supporting re-entry back into the community after jail. 
 
Promising outcomes have been observed among engage participants, including reduced substance use severity, safer drug use behaviors such as not using alone, using non-injection drugs, using their own pipe (not sharing), having access to Narcan, not mixing drugs (polysubstance use), and increased housing stability.   
 
This application proposes program expansion to open community referrals from the Office of the Public Defender with cooperation of the District Attorney’s Office and enhancing education and outreach to current and proposed partners creating opportunities for improved cross-sector collaboration. The funding category is 1b (suburban) covering the more populated areas around the Cities of Santa Fe and Edgewood, as well as the rural areas of the county. This grant supports expansion and continued operation of Engage to improve public health and safety by deflecting program participants away from involvement with the justice system and toward community-based services and resources.