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The Champion Plan

A Massachusetts police department serves as an entryway to treatment and recovery from substance use disorder

Initiated by the City of Brockton, Massachusetts in 2016, the Champion Plan established the police department as the point of entry for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). The program is modeled on the successful Gloucester, MA ANGEL Program and participates in the nation-wide Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI), with over 400 police departments in 32 states. The program includes these stages:

  • Voluntary entry into the police station by a person seeking treatment for SUD
  • A warrant check for any outstanding offenses is conducted at intake
  • If the individual has no arrestable offenses, and no history of substantial drug trafficking, placement and transportation is arranged to a treatment bed in collaboration with the local ambulance service
  • The patient is assigned a recovery coach to help stay the course in treatment and maintain post-treatment recovery
  • During and after treatment, follow-up with the individual at regular intervals up to 2 years after treatment is attempted by the recovery coach 

An evaluation over a two year period found that the program averaged just over an hour of wait time for treatment slots, and 60% of attempts at follow-up were successful. Participants receive overdose prevention training and information on how to obtain naloxone. A news release about the program can be found here and a journal article on the program that links to research on similar programs is here.

The Brockton Police Department is also involved in a countywide initiative to provide outreach to overdose survivors called Plymouth County Outreach. 

 

Data show 523 individuals walked into the Brockton Police Department 818 times looking for help during the first 24 months of operation. 

Continuum of Care
Treatment
Recovery
Harm Reduction
Type of Evidence
Peer-reviewed
Report with evaluation
Replicated
Response Approach
Crisis intervention
Diversion
Recovery coaching
Peer-reviewed Article
The City of Brockton's "Champion Plan": The Role of Police Departments in Facilitating Access to Treatment
Related Resources
Law Enforcement Pre-Arrest Diversion Resource Guide
Law Enforcement Efforts to Fight the Opioid Crisis
Building Successful Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Public Health Agencies to Address Opioid Use
Police & Harm Reduction: How Law Enforcement Can Advance Public Safety, Public Health, and Public Confidence
Responding to Individuals in Behavioral Health Crisis Via Co-Responder Models: The Roles of Cities, Counties, Law Enforcement, and Providers
The Unprecedented Opioid Epidemic: As Overdoses Become a Leading Cause of Death, Police, Sheriffs, and Health Agencies Must Step Up Their Response
Expanded Access to Naloxone Among Firefighters, Police Officers, and Emergency Medical Technicians in Massachusetts
Syringe Access & Law Enforcement: Building Alliances
opioid_abuse_brockton_champion_plan_kelley_varano_2018.pdf

Evidence of Program Effectiveness

"Early evidence suggests substantial successes for this approach to addressing addiction. Data show 523 individuals walked into the Brockton Police Department 818 times looking for help during the first 24 months of operation. Program staff were able to secure placement beds, on average, within 90 minutes of making contact with clients. Program clients report high levels of satisfaction with the program model, and early data indicate that a substantial number of clients retain engagement with services beyond intake. Findings from this study indicate police-centered treatment-on-demand programs may be viable strategies for getting those suffering from the disease of addiction into treatment." (Varano et al; 2019)