The city of columbus department of public safety proposes to implement the rapid response emergency addiction crisis team (rreact) program

The City of Columbus Department of Public Safety was awarded a $1,600,000 Project Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)'s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and other Substances Use Program (CFDA 16.838). The grant will fund the Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT) program, which aims to expand comprehensive, multi-disciplinary first responder-led outreach to stabilize households and increase access to drug/behavioral treatment for individuals with substance use disorder. Key program activities include connecting overdose survivors to harm reduction and treatment services, addressing healthcare disparities, implementing drug take-back campaigns, expanding peer recovery and case management services, and developing harm reduction/prevention curricula for at-risk youth. Expected outcomes include increased treatment access, decreased opioid misuse/overdose, and enhanced support for children and families impacted by substance abuse. The program will serve Franklin County, Ohio and partners with local treatment providers, public health, justice agencies, and the Family and Children First Council. Mighty Crow, Inc. will serve as the third-party evaluator.

The purpose is to expand comprehensive, multi-disciplinary first responder led outreach with the goal of stabilizing the household and reducing barriers and increasing access to drug and/or behavioral treatment for the individuals with substance use disorder. Rreact program activities include connecting overdose survivors with evidence-based harm reduction services and licensed treatment programs; addressing healthcare disparities and increase access to overdose prevention, treatment, and recovery resources for minority groups; connecting families with trauma specialists to rapidly respond to the needs of children impacted by drug overdose; implementing drug take-back campaigns in partnership with the DEA and local community organizations; expanding access to peer recovery and case management services for individuals with substance use disorder and justice involvement and their families; developing and implementing harm reduction and drug prevention campaigns for k-12 students within the vulnerable communities. Expected outcomes include: the development of culturally appropriate protocol for SUD/OUD EMS outreach protocols, harm reduction and case management protocols and drug prevention campaigns for at-risk youth; increased provision of evidence-based treatment for individuals with substance use disorder; decreased rate of opioid misuse and drug overdose death rate, including prescription and illicit opioid overdose death rates; increased access to critical child and kinship supports for kids and other caregivers in the home impacted by opioid use. Rreact program will serve individuals who experienced a non-fatal overdose and their households residing in franklin county in the city of columbus. Rreact actively partners with local treatment providers, public health departments, justice agencies and franklin countys family and children first council to achieve desired project outcomes. Mighty crow, INC. Serves as the evaluator for the proposed project.