The city of martinsburg, west virginia is applying to the FY23 cossup grant for category 1B in the amount of $1.3 million

Martinsburg with partnership of the subrecipient, the martinsburg initiative (TMI), will expand its substance use prevention and police social work program. The purpose of this project is to develop a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, trauma informed approach by building upon the mission of the martinsburg initiative: prevent substance use, build strong families, and empower the community. The proposed project will create a position of project coordinator and add two social workers to the police department to cover all shifts. IT will add a peer support specialist to the team to help with recovery services and add two school-based social workers to north and south middle school. Additionally, a crisis intervention team (CIT) will also be created, trained, and implemented to address individuals with substance use and unmet needs leading to substance use. The project will have three components as primary activities covering prevention, intervention, and treatment. In prevention, school social workers will provide prevention education using the evidence-based curriculum too good for drugs and TMI prevention programs, identified individuals and families will be provided naloxone, and overdose risk screenings and education will be provided. In intervention, law enforcement referrals will be received at intercept points 0 and 1 of the sequential intercept model for justice involved individuals at risk for substance use or overdose due to unmet behavioral health or socio-economic needs; case management of identified individuals; referrals, screenings, and evidence based interventions of identified at risk students in the middle schools; and connection to proper community resources to address the risk factors of substance use and overdose. In treatment, access to treatment will be expanded due to a coordinated referral system to local treatment centers and connections from the peer support specialist to help navigate the system and recovery services. This project is expected to have numerous expected outcomes to include the creation of CIT, improved response to substance use and mental health calls, reduced overdoses and overdose deaths particularly juveniles, reduced rates of recidivism, reduced stigma, more diversion into treatment, and increased resiliency in children. The service area is martinsburg and intended beneficiaries include individuals and children struggling with substance use and their families. By addressing substance use as a public health issue, IT aims to improve health and wellbeing of all members of the community.