FY 20 COSSAP Program

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 Seneca County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) is applying to COSSAP Category 1: Local Applications, Subcategory 1c, for funding in the amount of $598,608 for the Seneca County Opioid Abuse Reduction Program. Seneca County is located in north-central Ohio (population 55,178 and population density of 103 persons per square mile) and, like most rural communities in the region, suffers from underemployment, decreasing revenues, and high rates of substance abuse and mental illness. Consistent with OJP priority areas, Seneca County has a high rate of primary treatment admissions for opioids, high rates of overdose deaths, and a lack of accessibility to treatment providers. The purpose of the project is to better address the many needs of the population in Seneca County by providing (1) increased in-house (jail) access to therapy, (2) recovery support during reentry, and (3) transportation, in particular, to outpatient therapy following release from jail. The project includes building upon and expanding an existing partnership between SCSO and Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services, a recognized community mental health center in Ohio accredited by the Joint Commission. CA/NCF