Erie County NY Comprehensive Quick Response Program to Overdose

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 Erie County New York Comprehensive Quick Response Program to Overdose will enhance the county’s Law Enforcement Diversion Programs using the Quick Response Program to Overdose (QRP model). The model will blend various strategies to work in a comprehensive manner, including expanding naloxone distribution/deployment by law enforcement, police remotely referring overdose survivors from the field to MAT in emergency departments (using the Buffalo MATTERS telemedicine appointment capability), and leveraging the HIDTA ODMAP app to link survivors to the public health peer teams for follow-up and navigation to long-term treatment agencies. The Erie County Comprehensive Quick Response Program to Overdose will provide a seamless flow after an opioid overdose rescue by police. ODMAP will initiate a follow-up through the public health peer response team, who will reach out to the survivor to offer support at each stage of the process and track their engagement with treatment. This project serves Erie County, with a population of 925,702. The project includes partnerships between public health, law enforcement, emergency medicine services, high-intensity drug trafficking areas (ODMAP program), county mental health, family advocates, and the SUNY at Buffalo research evaluation partner.

CA/NCF