Louisiana Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (LaCOAP)

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 statewide planning, coordination, and implementation projects are designed to support initiatives jointly planned and implemented by the State Administering Agency (SAA) responsible for directing criminal justice planning and the Single State Agency (SSA) for Substance Abuse Services. This category contains two subcategories of funding. Subcategory 4a funds the development of a coordinated plan between the SAA and SSA to assist localities in engaging and retaining offenders who abuse illicit or prescription opioids in treatment and recovery services; increase the use of diversion; and/or reduce the incidence of overdose death. Subcategory 4b enables the awardee to provide financial support to localities or a region to implement the strategies in the plan developed as part of subcategory 4a.

The Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health will support access to, and engagement in, treatment and recovery support services for offenders with opioid abuse in Orleans and East Baton Rouge parishes, as well as increased use of diversion in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany parishes by providing support for peer support specialists and treatment staff.

CA/NCF