The Brooklyn Opioid Treatment Court (BOTC) is requesting funding in the amount of $1,988,669 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to enhance our existing Adult Drug Court, through the creation of a Comprehensive Opioid Intervention Network (COIN) to provide for the early identification of offenders with an opioid use disorder through telehealth screenings with an Addiction Medicine Physician (AMP) and prompt intervention utilizing opioid specific Evidence Based Practices and optional pharmacotherapeutic services for those determined to be clinically appropriate. The COIN aims to remove any barriers participants may face in accessing opioid specific treatment interventions such as Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) and provide Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) specific resources and supports to help sustain long term recovery.
Nationally, opiates are the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States after marijuana, with heroin use increasing among all demographic groups. According to the NYC Department of Health, in 2018, 273 Brooklyn residents died from a drug overdose, the second largest number of overdose deaths in the five boroughs. The NYC Department of Health further reported that of those 53% involved Fentanyl and 50% involved Heroin. The criminal justice system, Opioid Courts, in particular, have become an important intercept for treatment of OUD.
Following the BOTC model, the COIN will include close judicial monitoring, specialized assessment and treatment services, comprehensive case management services, incentives and sanctions, and frequent and random drug and alcohol testing. Working with our proposed treatment partner Samaritan Village (SV), the COIN will provide “on-demand” medical evaluations by an AMP who can guide treatment planning and rapidly connect participants to the most appropriate MAT. In addition, the COIN will allow for on-site OUD specific clinical groups and connect participants to a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA)for Recovery Coaching. The COIN CRPA will connect participants with community resources to help sustain recovery beyond their treatment court participation.
The primary goal of the proposed project to enhance the quality, effectiveness and immediacy of opioid specific treatment services available at BOTC through the addition of coordinated resources to support participants in the recovery process and help them overcome the unique challenges BOTC participants face. This project will provide services to 40 participants each year, totaling 200 unduplicated participants over five years. Specific goals for this project include; 1) decrease illicit use of opioids by increasing access to MAT services, 2) increase participants engagement and retention in treatment by providing participants with opioid specific treatment interventions, and 3) improve access to sustainable community-based recovery support services through engagement with a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA).