Mecklenburg County Opioid Systemic Response

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Program is the first major federal substance use disorder treatment and recovery legislation in 40 years and the most comprehensive effort to address the opioid epidemic. CARA establishes a comprehensive, coordinated, and balanced strategy through enhanced grant programs that expand prevention and education efforts while also promoting treatment and recovery. The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based program was developed as part of the CARA legislation signed into law on July 22, 2016. In FY 2017, the System-level Diversion and Alternatives to Incarceration Projects will provide funding and technical assistance to units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to establishing effective diversion and/or alternatives to incarceration programs for individuals with opioid use disorders. The population of focus are individuals with a history of opioid misuse as well as individuals who have come in contact with law enforcement but have not been formally charged. Funding must be used to establish a team (or utilize a pre-existing team) of stakeholders from across government and the community to engage in the planning process. Complete a structured planning phase before beginning project implementation and document the impact of the opioid epidemic based on local, regional, or state-level data. Grant funds may be used during the implementation phase to support a combination of allowable use categories such as identifying high-frequency utilizers across multiple systems; document the prevalence of individuals with opioid use disorders in the various local intercept points and individuals with a history of opioid misuse as well as individuals who have come in contact with law enforcement but have not been formally charged. During the planning phase of this category funds may be used to identify high-frequency utilizers across multiple systems; document the prevalence of individuals with opioid use disorders in the various local intercept points and identify population needs and engage a research partner to provide skills and assistance in identifying performance measures. As well as, during the implementation phase grant funds may be used to link high-frequency utilizers with evidence-based treatment and recovery support services; implement a plan to universally screen individuals entering community-based supervision and/or jail for risk of overdose; develop and implement a comprehensive plan to reduce the risk of overdose death; implement or expand the system-wide use of recovery support services using peer recovery coaches; expand the use of cognitive-behavioral treatment; implement wraparound services that facilitate meaningful coordination between the justice system and family support agencies; establish collaborative public health and justice partnerships; develop data or information systems to facilitate analyses and help track progress and assist in efforts to report on outcomes; implement other comprehensive approaches that serve individuals within more than one intercept; support the mandatory project coordinator and engage a research partner to conduct action research providing skills and assistance in identifying performance measures.

Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services will implement the Mecklenburg Opioid Systemic Response Plan. The project will initially focus on information gathering to create a comprehensive cross-system response plan to the opioid crisis. This information will help apply the Sequential Intercept Model to Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services will then enhance services at intercept points 3 (jail/courts) and points 5 (community corrections), respectively, for the target population. The University of North Carolina-Charlotte’s School of Social Work will serve as the project’s research partner. CA/NCF