Lead Agency: New Castle County Police Department
Program Name: Hero Help Addiction and Behavioral Health Unit
Location: New Castle County, Delaware
Partner Agencies: Police Department, Local Public Health Agency
Site population: 571,708
Pathway: Self-Referral, Active Outreach, Naloxone Plus, First Responder and Officer Referral, Officer Intervention
Year Started: 2016
Website: https://herohelpbhu.com/
Summary:
Launched in 2016 and then further expanded in 2019, the New Castle County Police Department’s Hero Help Addiction and Behavioral Health Unit integrates law enforcement and health care perspectives to provide a comprehensive response to police-generated calls for service. The unit provides outreach and naloxone for nonfatal overdose cases, treatment in lieu of arrest for low-level crimes, and ongoing case management to help bridge gaps in treatment. It will offer legal advocacy for individuals who are in compliance with program expectations. This multidisciplinary team consists of a program coordinator, a nurse, a mental health professional, and a child advocate and will soon be hiring a peer outreach specialist and a peer case manager. Together, these professionals are committed to a trauma-informed, supportive, and holistic approach to service to ensure that individuals and family members are connected to the appropriate level of care.
