Chehalis Tribal 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 Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation proposes a Chehalis Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, Substance Abuse Site-based Program to be run by Tsapowum, the Chehalis Tribal Behavioral members of the Chehalis Reservation, which has a population of 922. The Chehalis COSSAP proposes to increase the Chehalis tribal response to opioids in the tribal community by providing a comprehensive MAT program by distributing Narcan to tribal first responders, including Chehalis Tribal Police Officers, staff at the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center, and staff of Tsapowum. These specially chosen departments are first responders to overdose, as well as members of the Chehalis Tribal Opioid Task Force. These departments support the Chehalis COSSAP goal of reducing overdoses by half and overdose deaths to zero by 2023.

CA/NCF