This year, the City received $31,000.00, which is its initial share of settlement funds from participating in the National Prescription Opiate lawsuit. It is anticipated we will receive additional funding this year and succeeding disbursements over the next few years.
What follows is the police department’s proposed plan on how to use these funds to address the far-reaching and interrelated consequences opioid addiction had on our community.
The Department responds to numerous calls for service involving overdoses, homelessness, mental illness, families in crisis, and death calls of which many are directly related to opioid addiction. When patrol officers respond to these calls, they do the best they can and handle the immediate situation; however, they are unable to fully address the human, economic and societal toll that opioid use creates.
For years, Corporal Karen Norris has been the Department’s designated “go-to” person that routinely serves as an advisor and coordinator for our officers when they encounter situations described above. She is certified as a Crisis Intervention trainer and, over time, has developed excellent relationships and connections with the agencies in our area that provide specialized resources. She also works closely with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Health Initiative Team (B.H.I.T).
Based on the need to reassign two officers previously serving as school resource officers, I have assigned them to serve along with Corporal Norris on a specialized unit which will be called the Life Improvement Facilitation Team (L.I.F.T). The officers will follow-up and take appropriate action on all types of situations likely to reoccur, which in most cases will involve drug addiction and mental illness. Their primary goal will be to identify the high utilizers of public service and develop a plan for each individual to receive the assistance and wrap around services they require. This team will ensure follow-up with the individual regarding mental health, medical care, and transportation, if needed. Additionally, a social worker contracted through BayCare will work in conjunction with the team to ensure these quality-of-life issues get properly addressed. Thus, the identification of the high utilizers will in theory reduce the calls for service and the strain placed on our public service providers.
To establish a foundation from which to work, it is important for all officers to receive specialized training. They must be armed with the skills to recognize when they encounter situations where crisis intervention strategies are applicable. This training will provide officers with an understanding of the available resources and the protocols to follow for immediate referrals to services. They will learn to recognize when the specialized officers need to get involved. The training all officers will receive shall include education and awareness training of the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) distribution programs available; pre-arrest diversion opportunities; post-overdose response protocols; and more.
All patrol officers will be required to attend this training. BayCare and the specialized officers will coordinate and develop this custom training program. It is estimated that the initial $31,000.00 will cover the training expense to the Department.
I am certain we will identify appropriate ways to modify the L.I.F.T. program as the unit expands and progresses. We anticipate dedicating future opioid settlement funds to provide prevention and recovery services.