Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP)

• NCJ Number: 255463
• Date Published: August 2020
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2017– AR– BX– K003
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description; Legislation/Policy Analysis; Grants and Funding

Annotation

This instructional article presents the background/history of the federal Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP), outlines the goals and activities it supports, describes the work of the COSSAP Resource Center, and explains how to request COSSAP training and technical assistance (TTA).

Abstract

The COSSAP evolved from the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP) mandated as part of the 2016 federal Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. COAP's inaugural purpose was to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to plan, develop, and implement comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by the opioid epidemic. In 2020, in response to an increase in the abuse of other drugs, the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) expanded COAP to COSSAP, in order to increase resources for expanding the focus to countering stimulant and other substance abuse. Under COSSAP, resources are available for drug treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system; expanded collaboration among criminal justice, drug treatment, and mental health service agencies; strengthened drug-related data collection and sharing; and prevention of the use and misuse of illegal drugs. COSSAP grant awards and other resources are reported for FY 2017, FY2018, and FY 2019 combined. The TTA resources available from the COSSAP Resource Center are listed, and instructions are provided for how to access them.