Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the acceptance of a Wisconsin Department of Health Services “Opioid Abatement Efforts by Law Enforcement” grant award, amends the 2024 Police Department operating budget to reflect the grant, creates a 1.0 FTE limited term (LTE) Program Assistant position, and specifies non-competitively selected purchase of services contracts to be funded by the grant. The grant award is $183,511 for the period of April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, and may be extended upon mutual agreement. The Program Assistant LTE position will coordinate community outreach by the Addiction Resource Team and administrative duties to serve the Madison Area Addiction Recovery Initiative (MAARI) participants, support efforts to provide continuous MAARI refresher training for current MPD patrol officers, and assist in the expansion of the MAARI protocol to other interested agencies in Dane County.
Title
Amending the 2024 Police Department operating budget; and authorizing the Mayor and Chief of Police to sign a Wisconsin Department of Health Services Opioid Abatement Efforts by Law Enforcement grant award contract in the amount of $183,511 for expanding the Pathways to Recovery Madison and Dane County's Madison Area Addiction Resource Initiative (MAARI), Addiction Resource Team (ART) and Naloxone Plus programs.
Body
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 Pathways to Recovery Madison Dane County program to address opioid overdoses through its Madison Area Addiction Recovery Initiative (MAARI) pre-arrest diversion program, Addiction Resource Team for outreach to survivors of non-fatal overdose events, a Naloxone Plus program for the anti-overdose medication.
Created in 2017, MAARI is a law enforcement-led pre-arrest diversion program for persons suspected of having Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). 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 OUD 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 MAARI in lieu of arrest and criminal charges. When individuals are referred to the MAARI assessment hub by MPD officers, they undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment for their OUD; agree to a six-month treatment and arrest diversion plan in lieu of facing criminal charges; and then are connected with a local OUD 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 MAARI, all MPD charges associated with the initial referral to MAARI have been “voided” by the department.
The Addiction 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 has current federal grant funding through September 2024, and will use WDHS funding to enhance current programming through that time and continue the project through March 2025, focusing on expanding MAARI to other law enforcement agencies in Dane County.
WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) is using $3 million of Wisconsin’s share of National Prescription Opiate Litigation settlement funds to support law enforcement agencies and solicited applications for community drug disposal systems; medication-assisted treatment education and awareness training; pre-arrest or pre-arraignment deflection programs for people with an opioid use disorder; and treatment for people incarcerated with an opioid use disorder; and,
WHEREAS, WDHS has awarded the Madison Police Department a grant of $183,511 for its MAARI pre-arrest deflection program and Addiction Resource Team outreach for the period of April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025, and which may be extended upon mutual agreement; and,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Chief of Police are authorized to accept an Opioid Abatement Efforts by Law Enforcement grant award from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Department for $183,511.
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 Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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 create a Program Assistant LTE position ($84,300) to coordinate community outreach by the Addiction Resource Team and MPD-specific administrative duties to serve MAARI participants; support efforts to provide continuous MAARI refresher training for current MPD patrol officers; and to assist in the expansion of the MAARI protocol to other interested agencies in Dane County.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Police and Finance Departments are hereby authorized to pass-through $10,000 in grant funds to the Dane County Department of Human Services for the grant purpose of contracting with and managing vendors to provide clinical assessment (Tellurian Health) and peer support (Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County) for the Pathways to Recovery Initiative; and that the Police Department is authorized to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DCDHS for this purpose.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Police and Finance Departments, or purchasing agent designee, are hereby authorized to execute a purchase of services contract with JB Public Safety Consulting, LLC, the current Pathways to Recovery coordinator, for $14,342.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Police and Finance Departments, or purchasing agent designee, are hereby authorized to execute a purchase of services contract with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute for $63,807 for evaluation services provided by Janae Goodrich and Erin Taber.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the remaining grant funds of $11,062 will be used for harm reduction kits, MAARI and ART promotion, and client intake questionnaire software.