Public Safety & Justice Practitioner Education

Effective responses to illicit substance use and misuse include comprehensive training for the public safety, criminal justice, and behavioral health professionals who encounter its devastating effects daily. Law enforcement and other first responders frequently find themselves on the front lines, providing care and comfort for overdose victims and families. Criminal justice professionals in a wide range of settings (e.g., jail, court, probation) must manage the influx of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) in their systems. Behavioral health providers need the clinical knowledge and tools to help individuals with SUDs access the full range of evidence-based treatment services and supports. Communities must support training to ensure that all of these professionals have both the capacity to identify individuals with, or at risk of, SUDs and the ability to meet treatment needs through linkage to or delivery of services and recovery supports. Comprehensive training includes education on the science of addiction, as well as information on evidence-based opioid use disorder and SUD treatments, to address underlying stigma and bias that may prevent effective access to treatment.