Sumner-Gallatin COSSAP Initiative

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 1 is to encourage and support the development of comprehensive, locally driven responses to opioids, stimulants, and other substances 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 nonviolent drug offenders; promote education and prevention activities; and address the needs of children impacted by substance abuse.

The Gallatin Police Department (Sumner County, Tennessee, population 191,283) — in partnership with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, local treatment provider Volunteer Behavioral Health, local courts, and scientific consultants — requests $892,085 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance FY 2020 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (Category 1b: Competition ID BJA-2020-17024) to implement a law enforcement-led substance abuse response to address the county’s increasing substance abuse problem. The proposed community-based strategy to address substance abuse and overdose risk will be implemented through enhancing connections to treatment; delivering evidence-based recovery services including needs assessment, individualized treatment plans, case management, medicated assisted treatment (MAT); providing a police-led awareness and prevention program to the county’s K-12 population, as well as a provision of Narcan to officer first responders. OJP priorities addressed include serving a designated Qualified Opportunity Zone, high-poverty areas, evidence-based services delivery, and program evaluation.

CA/NCF