This brief by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) explains the five frameworks of first responder deflection (FDR) and discusses their implementation in rural communities.
This publication by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) outlines considerations for first responder deflection (FDR) in rural communities, discussing five frameworks, or pathways, of FRD programs, each of which addresses specific public safety challenges faced by law enforcement and other first responders in their communities. These five approaches to connecting people to treatment are referred to as “pathways” because, in contrast to other justice system interventions in which individuals are mandated to attend treatment, first responders, instead, offer access (or pathways) to community-based treatment and resources through proactive outreach and support to individuals in need. The spectrum of the “Five Pathways to Deflection” offers an alternative to traditional enforcement methods for individuals coping with SUDs, mental health disorders, or co-occurring disorders that may necessitate contact with police or other first responders. Across the United States, jurisdictions are turning to first responder deflection (FRD) and pre-arrest diversion programming to combat the opioid crisis and to assist individuals suffering from substance use disorder (SUD). These programs are known as law enforcement diversion, pre-arrest diversion, deflection, or pre-booking diversion, as well as other names. These programs help to connect individuals with SUDs to treatment and services and provide pivotal opportunities to redirect them away from placement in jails or emergency departments. While the size of a jurisdiction does not determine whether a location can implement FRD programs, opioid use affects between 3 and 5 percent of rural and urban populations alike.