371 - Leveraging Community Partnerships to Enhance Recovery Opportunity

Session Description: There is need for innovative approaches to address the substance misuse epidemic that coordinates efforts of multiple stakeholders, including government, law enforcement, and health care providers. Opioids have been rampant for several years resulting in year-to-year increases in overdose and death, while the concurrent use of methamphetamine and other drugs has not abated. In spite of best efforts overdose deaths continue to increase. In Tucson, Arizona the Deflection program models a coordinated effort led by law enforcement partnering with integrated health and behavioral health, united in their goal to reduce substance misuse and deaths within Pima County, Arizona.

The presenters will speak to several drivers of success for the Deflection program. These including: strategies to enhance the working partnership between law enforcement and behavioral health/substance use treatment programs; the selection process utilized to identify and implement the best practices identified for use in the program, both law enforcement best practices and behavioral health best practices; and additionally presenters will demonstrate the importance of on-going evaluation of outcomes enable building a framework for improving program delivery leading to increased participant satisfaction.

Coordinated responses involving law enforcement and treatment providers can connect opioid users to appropriate, evidence-based treatment and services and, ultimately, save lives and communities. Implementation of the Deflection program required a merging of the cultures, visions, and values of the partners. Workshop presenters will discuss how they addressed divergent beliefs between agencies around substance misuse, community relations, and the synching of the missions and values of multiple systems through collaboration and education creating solutions informed by best practices of both law enforcement and treatment. Presenters will discuss strategies for generating potential solutions to common community challenges and barriers to achieving including effective community-based collaborations.