SC Dept. of Public Health's 1st responders Comprehensive Addition and Recovery Act (CAVA) project. - The South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) Community Outreach Paramedic Engagement (COPE) Program seeks funding through the FY 2026 First Responders–Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) program to expand a statewide community paramedicine model addressing critical gaps following opioid-related overdose. The project will serve overdose survivors and first responders across 17 South Carolina counties: Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Beaufort, Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Sumter, and Williamsburg. South Carolina continues to experience significant opioid-related challenges, particularly in rural communities with limited access to substance use disorder treatment, behavioral health services, and recovery supports. Although overdose prevention efforts have expanded, many individuals who survive an overdose do not successfully continue to ongoing care. COPE addresses this gap by using EMS overdose data to identify individuals following an overdose, conduct proactive outreach, assess barriers, and provide linkage to treatment, recovery supports, and community resources. Over the four-year project period, COPE will provide outreach, care coordination, warm handoffs, and follow-up services to approximately 3,400 overdose survivors. The project will also provide overdose response education, technical assistance, and resiliency support to approximately 16,000 first responders, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and other public safety partners. Training activities will build upon SCDPH’s established Law Enforcement Officer Naloxone (LEON) and Reducing Opioid Loss of Life (ROLL) initiatives. COPE integrates emergency medical services, healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, peer recovery partners, criminal justice systems, and community organizations to create a coordinated overdose response and recovery network. Community paramedics address both clinical and social barriers to recovery, including housing, insurance, and access to care, while providing person-centered engagement and connection to appropriate services. The project aligns with SAMHSA priorities by expanding evidence-informed overdose response strategies, strengthening public health and public safety partnerships, improving first responder preparedness, and increasing access to recovery-oriented services. COPE will monitor implementation and outcomes through standardized EMS documentation, ImageTrend reporting, performance measures, and continuous quality improvement processes. Through expansion of the COPE community paramedicine model, SCDPH will strengthen South Carolina’s overdose response system, improve connections to treatment and recovery, and enhance community capacity to respond effectively to opioid-related emergencies.
