Public Safety Receives Department of Justice Grant
Public Safety Receives Department of Justice Grant
The City of Longmont is pleased to announce it has received a $499,922, two year grant from the United States Department of Justice under the FY18 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-Based Program. The funding will be used to expand the Public Safety Department’s efforts to address behavioral health in our community.
Currently, the department has three specialized programs that target behavioral health:
The Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) program pairs a police officer, licensed clinician and a paramedic in a dedicated primary response unit that responds to mental health related calls for service. The team aims to divert individuals from the criminal justice system and emergency room to more appropriate destinations.
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) allows officers to use their discretion to redirect people suspected of crimes associated with substance use into an intensive, harm-reduction based case management program. The department employs peer case managers that build long-term relationships with participants that focus on individual wellness and quality of life, not exclusively on sobriety.
Angel Initiative: Starting in 2017, the Public Safety Department welcomes anyone struggling with addiction to come to the public safety building at 225 Kimbark Street and we will connect them to one of our treatment provider partners. Over 100 people have been helped to date using the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) model.
The grant funding will add a second paramedic to the CORE team to allow for seven day a week coverage, add two case managers, hire a part-time project coordinator, fund some treatment alternatives and a research contract to ensure data collection and evaluation of the CORE and LEAD programs.
The Public Safety Department looks forward to increasing our ability to impact those struggling with behavioral health in our community.
This funding opportunity would not have been possible without the support of our community partners, including Boulder County Public Health, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Longs Peak Hospital, Krupnick Counseling Associates, City of Longmont Judge Frick, Centennial Peaks Hospital, and many more.
For additional information, please email or call (303)651-8433.
