New Bedford Outreach and Referral Services

The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program (COAP) was developed as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) legislation. COAP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to plan, develop, and implement comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by the opioid epidemic. The Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) has been incorporated into the FY 2019 COAP solicitation. The purpose of the Harold Rogers PDMP is to improve collaboration and strategic decision making among regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health entities to address prescription drug and opioid abuse, save lives, and reduce crime.

COAP aims to reduce opioid abuse and the number of overdose fatalities, as well as to mitigate the impacts on crime victims by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives. The program also supports the implementation, enhancement, and proactive use of PDMPs to support clinical decision making and prevent the abuse and diversion of controlled substances. Grantees are prohibited from using federal funds to support activities that violate the Controlled Substances Act.

The objective of Category 1 is to encourage and support the development of comprehensive, locally driven responses to the opioid epidemic that expand access to supervision, treatment, and recovery support services across the criminal justice system; support law enforcement and other first responder diversion programs for non-violent drug offenders; promote education and prevention activities; and address the needs of children impacted by the opioid epidemic. All projects are expected to involve multiple agencies and partners.

The New Bedford Police Department (NBPD) will increase its capacity to offer outreach and referral services to individuals who have chosen diversion from prosecution and who have overdosed or been identified as at risk of overdosing. NBPD will (1) hire a full-time project manager to coordinate efforts within the department and with external partners; (2) add two recovery coaches to provide outreach and follow-up post-treatment coaching; (3) implement the Critical Incident Management System (CIMS) to house the necessary data to monitor and evaluate this effort and; (4) complete yearly evaluations to assess the overall effectiveness of the project in achieving its overall goals/objectives and evaluate the processes and implementation by tracking critical measures associated with the implementation of the program model. Kelley Research Associates will serve as the research partner for the proposed project.
CA/NCF