Expand and Enhance Hamilton County's Quick Response Team

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 Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC), under the proposed quick response team (QRT) expansion program, will address and has already addressed a number of the overarching goals of the solicitation, specifically, encouraging cross-system planning and collaboration among officials who work in law enforcement, pretrial services, courts, probation and parole, child welfare, reentry, prescription drug monitoring programs, and emergency medical services, as well as health care providers, public health partnerships, and agencies that provide substance abuse treatment and recovery support services. The QRT expansion plans to engage current community stakeholders, as well as new community stakeholders and partnerships beyond the coalition to target hot-spot areas. The QRT will continue to expand its on-the-ground efforts by utilizing HC ARC member organizations to not only provide outreach and resources to individuals suffering from addiction, but also the organizations they frequent to arm them with tools and resources. HC ARC has established a coordinated multidisciplinary response team that includes law enforcement, treatment providers, government representatives from the county and city, and a program administrator. This project serves Hamilton County, population 817,473. The project includes partnerships between Hamilton County Public Health Department and the Talbert House.

CA/NCF