New Castle County Police Department
Delaware
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.
Experience
- Outreach and naloxone for nonfatal overdose cases
- Treatment in lieu of arrest for low-level crimes
- Ongoing case management to help bridge gaps in treatment
- Legal advocacy for individuals who are in compliance with program expectations
- 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
Newark Community Street Team
New Jersey
In response to particularly high rates of overdose compared to other areas of New Jersey, the Newark Community Street Team (NCST) Overdose Response Program was created in 2022 with the goals of reducing fatal and non-fatal overdoses, while improving the health and social outcomes of individuals in communities affected by substance use.
Experience
- Serves both in a crisis response and community outreach capacity
- Responds to overdose calls in partnership with University Hospital community paramedics
- Conducts participant follow-up visits while building community knowledge and capacity through harm reduction outreach and education
- Uses a non-judgmental approach to care that allows meaningful connections with people of different experiences and backgrounds, including individuals recently revived from an overdose and those at risk of experiencing an overdose in the future
- Provides communities with life-saving support, resources, and information
Stanly County EMS
North Carolina
Prior to the start of the EMS paramedic program in 2019, Stanly County, North Carolina, reported the highest rates of overdose in the state, exacerbated by the county’s low average income, limited access to treatment resources, and high rate of opioids being prescribed. The Stanly County EMS Community Paramedic Program was developed in response to this crisis. The county's community paramedics are part of a larger harm-reduction coalition, which makes it easier to collaborate and connect patients to the resources they need.
Experience
- Respond to overdose calls received by emergency medical dispatchers
- Work with certified peer support specialists to provide support, treatment referrals, and harm-reduction services
- Naloxone distribution
- Field buprenorphine administration
