Project NORTH (Navigation Outreach Recovery Treatment Hope)

Project NORTH will operate 16 sites with Recovery Support Navigation Services. The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) was developed as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) legislation. COSSAP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to develop, implement, or expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants, and other drugs of abuse. The objective of Category 2 is to support states in their efforts to implement or enhance, in a minimum of six geographically diverse counties, localities, or regions, activities to: expand access to supervision, treatment, and recovery support services across the criminal justice system; support law enforcement and other first responder diversion programs for nonviolent drug offenders; promote education and prevention activities; and address the needs of children impacted by substance abuse. Project NORTH (Navigation, Outreach, Recovery, Treatment, and Hope) will increase treatment engagement and retention, decrease risk of overdose, and reduce risk of justice-system involvement. The objectives of the project are to increase access to evidence-based treatment and care coordination, decrease barriers to treatment retention, increase recovery support and recovery capital, and increase access to overdose-prevention education and naloxone distribution. This project serves 62 communities in 9 counties and 2.7 million people. Proposed locations include Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Quincy, Springfield, Taunton, and Worcester. The project includes partnerships between the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, MassHealth (Medicaid office), Department of Public Health, Department of Mental Health, and the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing