Seattle Comprehensive System Level Opioid Diversion Project

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.

The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program aims to reduce opioid abuse and the number of overdose fatalities, as well as to mitigate the impacts on crime victims. The program also supports the implementation, enhancement, and proactive use of prescription drug monitoring programs to support clinical decision making and prevent the abuse and diversion of controlled substances.

The System-level Diversion Projects category projects must demonstrate a commitment to establish effective diversion programs for offenders who abuse illicit or prescription opioids. Projects may support pretrial diversion, court-based diversion programs (other than drug courts or Veterans treatment courts), community-based supervision, corrections programs, and/or reentry programs.

The Seattle Police Department, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Corrections, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Public Defenders Association, will enhance in-custody access to services, mentoring, and peer support; expand reentry access to services (including stable housing and opioid abuse-related treatment), mentoring, and peer support; and provide options for diversion to treatment for persons on community supervision instead of return to custody. BetaGov/Litmus at NYU will serve as the research partner for the proposed project.

CA/NCF