The Police Chiefs of Plymouth County are pleased to announce that Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) has been selected as a mentor site for The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Law Enforcement/First Responder Diversion Mentor Program.

The mentor program, set to begin in October, will provide communities interested in implementing a law enforcement/first responder diversion program with the opportunity to learn from programs that have shown success in meeting their communities’ treatment needs. As a mentor site, PCO will host communities interested in starting a diversion program or enhancing an existing program.

Law enforcement/first responder diversion refers to overdose response plans where first responders, working in partnership with substance abuse treatment providers and peer recovery coaches, may refer overdose victims to treatment and recovery support services rather than the criminal justice system.

PCO began offering diversion program services in 2016. On average, 1,350 individuals have contact with the program each year and approximately 43 treatment referrals are made each month.

Communities who are selected to visit PCO will send representatives from the key groups involved in a collaborative diversion program, such as law enforcement, public health and recovery organizations. They will be able to observe and experience day-to-day operations, shadow PCO’s civilian project coordinator and operations supervisor, attend meetings and trainings, shadow post-overdose follow-up outreach visits with officers and recovery coaches, experience daily collaboration with key stakeholder partner organizations and observe how the law enforcement Critical Incident Management System (CIMS) database supports real time overdose tracking and follow-up outcomes.

“We are honored to have been selected to be one of the few programs throughout the country that will serve as a mentor site,” East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen said. “We’re proud of our diversion program and how it has grown over the past three years and we look forward to sharing our approach with other communities.”

As a result of being selected as a mentor site, PCO is recognized by BJA as an exemplary model of multidisciplinary overdose response and diversion programs. PCO will also be provided with a $2,000 stipend to cover some costs associated with hosting visitors. Mentor sites will serve for two years and will host approximately three to five communities per year.

More information on PCO can be found at www.plymouthcountyoutreach.org

About Plymouth County Outreach: Plymouth County Outreach is a collaborative of police departments throughout Plymouth County led by the following chiefs: Abington Chief David Majenski, Bridgewater Chief Christopher Delmonte, Bridgewater State University Chief David Tillinghast, Brockton Chief John Crowley, Brockton Police Lt. Richard Linehan, Carver Chief Marc Duphily, Duxbury Chief Stephen McDonald, East Bridgewater Chief Scott Allen, Halifax Chief Joao Chaves, Hanover Chief Walter Sweeney, Hanson Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham Chief Glenn Olsson, Hull Chief John Dunn, Kingston Chief Maurice Splaine, Lakeville Chief Matthew Perkins, Marion Chief John Garcia, Marshfield Chief Phillip Tavares, Mattapoisett Chief Mary Lyons, Middleboro Chief Joseph Perkins, Norwell Chief Ted Ross, Pembroke Chief Richard Wall, Plymouth Chief Michael Botieri, Plympton Interim Chief Matthew Clancy, Rochester Chief Robert Small, Rockland Chief John Llewellyn, Scituate Chief Michael Stewart, Wareham Chief John Walcek, West Bridgewater Chief Victor Flaherty and Whitman Chief Scott D. Benton.

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