Surviving an overdose can be the first step towards recovery for those struggling with opioid use disorder. Given the surge in opioid overdose deaths in the Tempe, Arizona area, in 2019 the city initiated the Tempe First-Responder Opioid Recovery Project, a collaboration between police officers, first responders, social workers, peer counselors, and university researchers. The objective is to administer intranasal naloxone (Narcan) to overdose victims and then link them to treatment and recovery services. Police are trained in naloxone administration and, along with other first responders, offer overdose survivors hospital transport and immediate contact with EMPACT, a behavioral health treatment provider. A Crisis Outreach Response Team follows up with overdose survivors for 45 days, offering round-the-clock support, referrals, and services. The team provides survivors and their families with "post-crisis transition navigation" to assist with placement into treatment and post-treatment recovery programs.

A preliminary evaluation found that the program was an effective interagency, multi-disciplinary collaboration that saved lives and increased entry into treatment and engagement with recovery support. In interviews, police expressed commitment to the program and satisfaction with their new role as Narcan administrators with the power to save lives. The program has received positive news coverage.