Examining the implementation of police-assisted referral programs for substance use disorder services in Massachusetts |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States;2. The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, Boston, MA, United States;3. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States;4. Evans Center for Implementation and Improvement Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States;5. Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States;1. Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, Spain;2. Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain;3. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain;4. Unidad de Reducción de Daños “SMASD”, Madrid, Spain;5. Fundación Estatal, Salud, Infancia y Bienestar Social (FCSAI), Madrid, Spain;6. Unidad de Infección Viral e Inmunidad, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain;1. Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;2. Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Wellbeing, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | BackgroundIn response to the dramatic increase in opioid overdose deaths in recent years, police departments and community partners across the United States have begun to implement programs focused on connecting individuals to substance use disorder services. We examined the implementation of police-assisted referral programs from the perspectives of different team members to understand the key components of these programs and strategies used to implement them.MethodsQualitative research methods were used to examine the implementation of police-assisted referral programs in five Massachusetts communities between June 2019 and March 2020. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 33 individuals, including 5 police chiefs, 12 police officers, 6 outreach workers, 4 community-based organization (CBO) directors, 2 interns, 1 clinician, 1 program manager, 1 religious representative, and 1 prevention specialist.ResultsFive key themes emerged regarding the implementation of police-assisted referral programs across the communities: 1) program development was an ongoing process; 2) partnerships between police departments and community stakeholders were essential for starting and sustaining a program; 3) high-level leadership influenced program priorities and facilitated implementation; 4) program success was defined in multiple ways; and 5) programs contributed to shifts in beliefs about substance use and addiction among police officers.ConclusionsPolice-assisted referral programs in Massachusetts have adopted a variety of models of service delivery, evolving from post-overdose outreach and walk-in models to more complex hybrid forms. Implementation was facilitated by the support of departmental leadership, particularly the police chief, and the development of key partnerships across institutional boundaries. Communities continue to develop their programs to incorporate additional components, such as new mechanisms of outreach, harm reduction services, and long-term engagement activities. Further evaluation of these programs is needed to understand how each of these unique components may influence a program's impact on future overdoses, entry to treatment, and long-term recovery. |
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