The Lake County Opioid Initiative has developed and implemented a law enforcement assisted pre-arrest diversion pilot program called 'A Way Out'--a confidential program for drug-using individuals to self-refer to treatment via participating police departments in the county. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the area by connecting individuals who are ready for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment to appropriate programs and services. 

The program is available 24 hours a day. Individuals seeking help for their substance use enter their local participating police department and ask to participate in “A Way Out” or may phone the police department after-hours with the request. The program representative meets with the individual and their family to refer the individual to appropriate screening and treatment services in the county without risk of criminal charges for any possession of narcotics or related paraphernalia.  Program representatives work closely with the county health department and other local agencies to assist treatment-seeking individuals.

The “A Way Out” program does not directly pay for treatment services but makes every effort to ensure that linkage to treatment is timely and affordable for the individual. Lake County has seen a 23% increase in overdose deaths from 2014 to 2017 compared with surrounding counties seeing an increase of over 200%. Though the program began in 2016, the slower rise in overdose deaths in Lake County may be partially attributable to 'A Way Out'.  The program has expanded to several other counties in the state, including McHenry and Kane counties.