Substance Abuse/Drugs

CHJ connected with the Benedict Center through a COSSUP grantee convening in Milwaukee. The Benedict Center requested TA on prearrest diversion and deflection for people who are doing street-based sex work. CHJ met with the Benedict Center to discuss their work, the challenges they are encountering, and the role of deflection.

The following activities occurred during this reporting period:

The following Community of Practice activities occurred during this reporting period:

• Hosted State Agency Community of Practice meetings (Quarterly, August and November 2023)

• Hosted OFR Data System User Group meetings (July – September, November 2023)

• Hosted Next-of-Kin Interview Learning Community convenings (September 2023)

The following activities occurred during this reporting period:

• Supported access to the IIR OFR Data System on the REDCap server for six new OFR sites.

• Hosted next-of-kin interview training for 41 professionals (December 2023)

• Facilitated an all-day workshop in Helena, Montana on OFR (August 2023)

• Hosted state infrastructure planning calls with nine states (July – December 2023)

This eight-part series will feature each COSSAP TTA provider and rural community partners/ COSSAP grantees to demonstrate how COSSAP TTA providers can support rural jurisdictions and the innovative work made possible by rural partnerships. The COSSAP TTA program offers a variety of learning opportunities and assistance to support BJA COSSAP grantees and other local, tribal, and state stakeholders to build and sustain multidisciplinary criminal justice responses to illicit substance use and misuse.

Grantees will receive training and practical information and provide best practices on responses to substance use disorders and overdose prevention that prioritize prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction.

The event serves as an opportunity for COSSUP grantees to further the goals of the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program to support effective local, state, and tribal responses to illicit substance use in order to reduce overdose deaths, promote public safety, and support access to treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system.

Altarum attended the NAPS conference in October 2023

Multisector coordination, meeting structure, and data sharing are critical to implementing effective community overdose prevention programs. Overdose Fatality Review (OFR)-Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST) allows for multi-disciplinary aggregate and case-level data sharing, analysis, and interpretation to identify and implement recommendations to prevent future overdoses.

This webinar will discuss the recently enhanced OFR-PHAST framework and how to structure staffing, meetings, and member participation to effectively prevent overdose.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leadership, in collaboration with the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) team at the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR), invite you to this no-cost Learning Community for Rural Jurisdictions occurring the second Tuesday of each month beginning February 14 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., ET.