The southern nevada health district (snhd) is applying to the department of justice, office of justice programs, bureau of justice assistance comprehensive opioid, stimulant, and substance use…

The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a $1,600,000 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and other Substances Use Program (CFDA 16.838) Project Grant to the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and sub-recipients Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The grant will fund a collaborative initiative to address the opioid crisis in Clark County, Nevada through a public health-focused overdose response team, law enforcement diversion services, and expanded naloxone access and training. Key activities include:

• Establishing a field-based "SPORTS" overdose response team led by SNHD and LVMPD to provide linkage to care and connect individuals to treatment and recovery services
• Expanding LVMPD's drug diversion and mental health intervention programs, including officer training and increased community engagement
• Conducting a program evaluation by UNLV to assess the effectiveness of the overdose response and diversion models

The project aims to increase access to treatment/recovery services and reduce fatal drug overdoses in the Las Vegas metropolitan area over the 3-year grant period.

The southern nevada health district (snhd) is applying to the department of justice, office of justice programs, bureau of justice assistance comprehensive opioid, stimulant, and substance use site-based program (cossup) as a category 1.a. Urban area or large county with a population greater than 500,000. Snhd serves clark county, nevada which reports a population of 2,338,127 individuals. This cossup project will be carried out by two main agencies southern nevada health district (snhd) and the LAS vegas metropolitan police department (lvmpd) in an effort to further integrate and expand current multijurisdictional partnerships in clark county, NV to end fatal drug overdose. These agencies will create a field-initiated linkage to care team that responds to overdoses using a public health framework (titled sports southern nevada post-overdose response team supports). In addition, the project will enable the expansion of law enforcement diversion services and increase training on the importance and use of naloxone for law enforcement and other first responders and increase naloxone availability for their use and distribution. Expected outcomes include an increase in access to linkage to care and diversion services and decrease in fatal drug overdose. The project will also involve a research partnership with the university of nevada LAS vegas (unlv) school of public health to assess the effectiveness of the model and implementation to achieve stated outcomes. The two sub-awardees on the project are lvmpd and unlv. The initiative will also further current funded partnership activities of the southern nevada opioid advisory council. The grant beneficiaries include first responders, people and families that experience overdose, governmental agencies, substance use disorder treatment agencies, and recovery community organizations throughout clark county, NV during the life of the grant and beyond.