Chapel Hill Police Department Crisis Unit
North Carolina
Since 1974, the Chapel Hill Police Department Crisis Unit has been at the forefront of delivering compassionate, community-centered mental health and substance use services. Through a combination of immediate interventions and long-term care strategies, the program ensures that individuals in crisis receive the support they need to recover and thrive. By leveraging community partnerships and an inclusive service model, the Crisis Unit continuously adapts to meet the diverse needs of its population, maintaining its role as a leader in crisis care.
- Co-responder program with mental health providers and law enforcement
- 24/7 crisis response for immediate emergency stabilization
- Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) Team with mobile crisis response and an embedded crisis counselor in the 9-1-1 center
- Transit outreach by embedding crisis counselors in the public transit system
- Holistic care coordination offering medical, mental health, peer support, and essential resources
- Strong stakeholder collaboration with behavioral health providers and community partners
- Peer support specialists integrated into outreach and public education
- Innovative outreach, including street outreach and follow-ups
Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT) Emergency Medical Services Outreach Program
Ohio
Launched in 2017, the Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT) Emergency Medical Services Outreach Program in Columbus, Ohio, is a proactive initiative aimed at addressing substance use crises with a focus on timely intervention and comprehensive support. By emphasizing rapid responses and community-based care, RREACT provides essential services that go beyond emergency treatment, helping individuals navigate the path to recovery. The program’s integration of multiple disciplines and ongoing support highlights its commitment to creating lasting change for individuals and the community.
- Targeted outreach to overdose survivors who refuse transport to clinical facilities
- Multidisciplinary outreach team with paramedics, crisis intervention team officers, and case managers
- Case management and holistic support for addiction, mental health, and social services
- Proactive follow-up offering harm reduction and treatment resources
- Central command center for coordination and problem solving
- Alumni group support for recovery through social events and training
- Client management system for tracking services and outcomes
Fort Wayne Police Department Hope and Recovery Team (HART)
Indiana
The Fort Wayne Police Department’s Hope and Recovery Team (HART) has been dedicated to providing compassionate, community-based support for individuals struggling with substance use disorders since 2019. HART’s innovative model emphasizes long-term recovery by connecting individuals to critical services and fostering collaboration among local providers. The program’s tailored approach ensures that vulnerable residents receive the help they need to move toward recovery, while reinforcing the importance of personalized care and support.
- Plainclothes detectives trained as peer recovery coaches
- Follow-up on nonfatal overdoses within 72 hours
- Partnerships with more than 80 providers for comprehensive support
- Hotline for immediate assistance connecting people to treatment
- Holistic care coordination through detectives and social workers
- Creative outreach including drug motel visits and street programs
- Veterinary support for clients’ pets during treatment
- Rapid access to treatment with two partner treatment providers
- Law enforcement buy-in through officers supporting deflection efforts
Hamilton County Quick Response Team (QRT)
Ohio
The Hamilton County Quick Response Team (QRT) is a critical component of the county’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Established in 2018, the program’s collaborative approach involving law enforcement, health care professionals, and community partners ensures timely interventions and access to a wide range of services. By focusing on both immediate and long-term care, the QRT helps individuals navigate recovery while strengthening community ties and resources.
- Co-responder model with law enforcement, peers, and specialists providing holistic care
- Part of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition, a group of community members, leaders, advocates, and experts dedicated to ending the opiate epidemic in the community and a collective force of resources that provide access to care, when and where people need it most (including public health and law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and more)
- Holistic Outreach for Priority People (HOPP) initiative for intensive case management, reducing overdoses in high-utilization areas
- Post-overdose response prioritizing follow-up, harm reduction, and treatment referrals
- Customized care coordination with more than 500 providers for tailored services
- African American Engagement Workgroup (AAEW) targets outreach to minority populations
- Veterans and Mental Health Court partnerships divert individuals to treatment
- Data-driven program using Cordata Deflection software to track client interactions and outcomes
New Castle County Police Department Hero Help Addiction and Behavioral Health Unit
Delaware
Launched in 2016, the New Castle County Police Department’s Hero Help Addiction and Behavioral Health Unit integrates law enforcement and health care perspectives to address substance use and behavioral health crises. By offering treatment in lieu of arrest, post-overdose outreach, and ongoing case management, the program helps individuals navigate recovery while minimizing their involvement in the criminal justice system. With a trauma-informed approach, the unit ensures that individuals and their families receive comprehensive, compassionate care and are connected to appropriate services.
- Embedded deflection unit within the police department offering treatment in lieu of arrest for low-level crimes
- Multidisciplinary team with a program coordinator, a nurse, a mental health professional, and peer specialists
- Post-overdose outreach providing Narcan and case management to nonfatal overdose victims
- Trauma-informed, holistic approach connecting individuals and families to care and legal advocacy
- Data-driven approach using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) data collection tool for tracking outreach and treatment outcomes
- Awards for innovative approach to the opioid crisis
Drug Addiction Recovery Team (DART) and Division of Community Care (DCC)
Massachusetts
Pivotal in reshaping the city’s approach to substance use and mental health crises, the city of Northampton’s Drug Addiction Recovery Team (DART) and Division of Community Care (DCC) offer multiple deflection pathways to connect individuals with lifesaving services. DART’s comprehensive care model includes treatment referrals, naloxone distribution, and community-based support, all aimed at reducing the harm of substance use. By working closely with community partners, DART and DCC ensure that individuals receive care in a way that is both respectful and empowering.
- Public health framework focused on underserved communities, including people of color and the unhoused
- Non-armed community responders addressing mental health, substance use, and crises
- Crisis intervention training for law enforcement across the region
- Naloxone distribution to law enforcement and first responders
- Community responders for follow-ups instead of law enforcement
- Data-driven approach using critical incident management systems to track overdose responses and referrals
- Peer support and harm reduction partnerships with recovery centers
Plymouth County Outreach
Massachusetts
Plymouth County Outreach has been at the forefront of community-based deflection efforts, providing a robust network of support for individuals struggling with substance use. Since 2017, this initiative has been characterized by its proactive approach, offering naloxone, harm reduction services, and treatment referrals through a combination of self-referral, officer intervention, and reentry programs. The team’s dedication to equity and accessibility is evident in its efforts to meet individuals where they are—both literally and figuratively—ensuring that every community member has access to the resources they need to heal and recover. With a focus on sustainability and community integration, Plymouth County Outreach continues to set a standard of excellence in deflection.
- Peer recovery coaches certified through the state’s Recovery Coach Academy
- Post-overdose outreach, with 1,202 individuals served annually
- Multidisciplinary partnerships with public health, law enforcement, treatment facilities, and harm reduction workers
- Data-driven initiatives to identify overdose hot spots and provide targeted outreach
- Regular stakeholder meetings for data sharing, training, and strategy updates
- Holistic care coordination offering peer support, housing assistance, and harm reduction services
Newark Community Street Team (NCST) Overdose Response Program
New Jersey
Created in 2022 in response to high overdose rates, the Newark Community Street Team (NCST) Overdose Response Program aims to reduce fatal and nonfatal overdoses while improving health and social outcomes for communities affected by substance use. The NCST Overdose Response Team works in both crisis response and outreach, partnering with University Hospital paramedics to respond to overdose calls and conducting follow-up visits with individuals in need. By prioritizing harm reduction and community education, the team helps build local capacity to address substance use challenges in a nonjudgmental and supportive way.
- Nonjudgmental, harm reduction approach to engage with overdose survivors and at-risk individuals
- Post-overdose care coordination targeting those who decline hospital transport
- Strong community partnerships with University Hospital and local harm reduction organizations
- Peer-led outreach providing naloxone and overdose prevention supplies during street outreach
- Public harm reduction training hosted at community spaces like the Newark Public Library
- Data tracking and evaluation in partnership with Johns Hopkins University and the Rutgers Institutional Review Board
Stanly County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Community Paramedic Program
North Carolina
In response to Stanly County’s high overdose rates, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Community Paramedic Program was launched in 2019 to provide critical support in an area with limited treatment resources and a high rate of opioid prescriptions. The program’s community paramedics, working as part of a harm reduction coalition, respond to overdose calls and collaborate with peer support specialists to connect individuals to treatment and harm reduction services. Through field interventions and ongoing partnerships, the program ensures that individuals have access to the care they need to combat substance use disorders.
- Community paramedics providing harm reduction, overdose response, and peer support
- Suboxone administered in the field to bridge individuals to long-term recovery
- Collaboration with a harm reduction coalition for resources and support
- Medical clearance in the field to divert from the emergency department to specialized care
- Five full-time positions funded through county government, hospitals, and opioid settlement funds
- Partnerships with local agencies like law enforcement, health departments, and peer organizations
Tucson Police Department Community Outreach Resource and Engagement (CORE) Deflection Program
Arizona
The Tucson Police Department’s Community Outreach Resource and Engagement (CORE) Deflection Program, implemented in 2018, offers a compassionate alternative to arrest for individuals struggling with substance use and mental health disorders. With a team that includes first responders and behavioral health specialists, the initiative emphasizes a trauma-informed approach to foster trust and healing in Tucson’s diverse communities.
- Partnership with CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness providing peer support, transportation, and monthly training for officers
- Peer responders embedded in the CORE Unit for active outreach and overdose follow-ups
- Naloxone distribution integrated into outreach and overdose prevention efforts
- Comprehensive training, in which all officers receive training on deflection, substance use disorder, and trauma-informed care
- Monthly stakeholder meetings to address community trends and update training
- Program integrated into Tucson’s regular department operations, with no need for additional funding
