Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution amends the 2024 Police Department operating budget and authorizes the acceptance of a U.S Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program (COSSUP) grant award of $1,600,000 to expand the Madison Area Recovery Initiative (MARI) to address substance use disorder.
The grant funds will be used to continue funding the current Program Assistant LTE position to coordinate community outreach by the Resource Team and MPD-specific administrative duties to serve MARI participants; support efforts to provide continuous MARI refresher training for current MPD patrol officers; and to assist in the expansion of the MARI protocol to other interested agencies in Dane County. The resolution also authorizes pass-through grant funds to MARI partner organizations and purchase of services contracts with: Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County to contract for MARI peer support services ($441,246); University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute for evaluation services provided by Janae Goodrich and Erin Taber ($264,811); Dane County Department of Human Services for contingency management and transitional housing recovery services ($225,395); and JB Public Safety Consulting, LLC, the current MARI coordinator, for continued services ($124,800). Other grant funds be used for training, harm reduction kits, supplies, project promotion, local transportation for participants, and client intake questionnaire software.
The grant covers the period of 10/01/2024 - 09/30/2027. No city match is required and there is no impact on the levy.
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SUBSTITUTE - Amending the 2024 Police Department operating budget; and authorizing the Mayor and Chief of Police to sign accept a U.S Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program (COSSUP) grant award of $1,600,000 to expand the Madison Area Recovery Initiative (MARI) to address substance disuse disorder.
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PREAMBLE
The Madison Police Department (MPD) and its partners, Dane County Department of Human Services, Safe Communities of Madison-Dane County, Tellurian Behavioral Health and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute created a Madison Area Initiative (MARI) pre-arrest diversion program, and expanded it to include aResource Team for outreach to survivors of non-fatal overdose events, and a Naloxone Plus program for the anti-overdose medication.
MARI is a law enforcement-led pre-arrest diversion program for persons suspected of having Substance Use Disorder (SUD). To be eligible, individuals must be 18 and over and have been found by a police officer to have committed a drug-related crime but SUD is suspected to be the at root cause of the criminal behavior. All Madison police officers received training to identify such situations and refer eligible participants to MARI in lieu of arrest and criminal charges. When individuals are referred to the MARI assessment hub by MPD officers, they undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment for their SUD; agree to a six-month treatment and arrest diversion plan in lieu of facing criminal charges; and then are connected with a local SUD treatment provider, other counseling services and peer support. When a participant completes the program, they receive a letter of congratulations from the Police Chief acknowledging this accomplishment and the beginning of their recovery journey. The participant is also officially notified that as a result of their completion of MARI, all MPD charges associated with the initial referral to MARI have been “voided” by the department.
The Resource Team was created in 2021 for outreach to survivors of non-fatal overdose events, as well as a Naloxone Plus program for the anti-overdose medication. Thirty trained MPD officers, along with peer support coaches, contact individuals who have recently overdosed, providing information on available community treatment resources, peer support and naloxone.
MPD will use grant funding to enhance current programming, focusing on expanding MARI to other law enforcement agencies in Dane County, incorporating all elements of the national COSSUP model.
WHEREAS, the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the U.S Department of Justice has created a comprehensive program to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants and other drugs, and has awarded the Madison Police Department a three-year grant of $1,600,000 for its Madison Area Recovery Initiative (MARI) to:
• Expand drug take-back programs in coordination with our grant partner and area law enforcement agencies.
• Expand diversion activities in our evidence-based Madison Area Recovery Initiative (MARI) to include a self-referral pathway; inclusion of probation and parole offenders, and transportation for MARI participants to assessment and treatment.
• Expand our Resource Team (RT) to include juvenile outreach; peer led support groups in the Dane County Jail; expand RT cadre outreach to communities outside of Madison; fatal overdose grief support outreach; and improved narcotics task force search warrant coordination to support impacted household members.
• Improve access to real-time overdose incident information so as to identify emerging drug trends.
• Ensure availability of Naloxone for law enforcement, first responders, jail staff, and other justice system practitioners.
• Create substance use education and prevention program to connect law enforcement with K-12 students.
• Explore pre-booking or post-booking treatment alternative-to-incarceration programs with our Dane County Jail.
• Improve coordination with the District Attorney’s Opiate Diversion Program.
• Improve and expedite treatment support and recovery services for Dane County Drug Court.
• Expand evidence-based SUD treatment by coordinating jail transports for MAT screening prior to the booking process.
• Provide SUD funding for assessment, treatment and inpatient beds for MARI participants.
• Explore contingency management and behavioral treatment possibilities for MARI.
• Implement recovery and transitional housing for MARI participants.
• Embed two Peer Support Specialist positions in MPD’s Mental Health Unit to better support justice involved individuals in accordance with the Sequential Intercept Model.
• Implement ART cadre outreach and harm reduction support to individuals re-entering the community post incarceration.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Chief of Police are authorized to accept a FY2024 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program (COSSUP) three-year grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance for $1,600,000.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Police 2024 Operating Budget is amended to appropriate any grant funds received to be used for the purposes of the grant, including modifications upon appropriate approvals from the funder, the U.S. Department of Justice
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Finance and Police Departments are authorized to establish and/or maintain accounts as required for the administration of the grant funds.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that grant funds are to be used to continue funding the current Program Assistant LTE position to coordinate community outreach by the Resource Team and MPD-specific administrative duties to serve MARI participants; support efforts to provide continuous MARI refresher training for current MPD patrol officers; and to assist in the expansion of the MARI protocol to other interested agencies in Dane County.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Finance Director or their designee is hereby authorized to pass-through grant funds to MARI partner organizations and enter into purchase of services contracts with:
- Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County to contract for MARI peer support services ($441,246)
- University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute for evaluation services provided by Janae Goodrich and Erin Taber ($264,811)
- Dane County Department of Human Services for contingency management and transitional housing recovery services ($225,395)
- JB Public Safety Consulting, LLC, the current MARI coordinator, for continued services ($124,800).
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that other grant funds be used for training, harm reduction kits, supplies, project promotion, local transportation for participants, and client intake questionnaire software.