LBPD Partners with Second Chance Program to Provide a Co-Responder Model for Those Suffering from Substance Use Disorder
LITITZ BOROUGH - The LBPD has partnered with blueprints for Addiction Recovery Inc., Second Chance Program. This opportunity provides a co-responder model, where a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) will co-respond with LBPD officers for anyone in Lititz Borough who is experiencing a substance use disorder and who may be in crisis. This partnership prioritizes agency efforts towards resources in favor of rehabilitation over incarceration where situationally appropriate.
As law enforcement, we respond directly to the crime, crisis or instance – which provides a unique window for intervention. The LBPD intends to evolve a partnership that brings decision makers, officers, clinicians and responders together at the earliest possible opportunity, that will ultimately address:
- Prevention.
- Community engagement.
- Trust and confidence.
- Public interest.
- Treatment and recovery.
- Community reintegration.
The 2015 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 4.3 Recommendation states, “Collaborative approaches that engage professionals from across systems have emerged as model practices for addressing community problems that are not resolvable by the police alone. These team approaches call upon law enforcement agencies, service providers, and community support networks to work together to provide the right resources for the situation and foster sustainable change.”
The Second Chance Program is an interdisciplinary team of addiction treatment professions, law enforcement and government officials, advocates and citizens determined to do our part in turning the tables on addiction, relapse, and needless death. Participants are connected to addiction treatment, mental health and recovery support services of every type and description, from medically-monitored detoxification through rehabilitation and into self-directed recovery.
We believe this initiative will have meaningful health and wellness benefits and positive impacts not just for those suffering from substance use disorder, but the Lititz Community as a whole.
Every LBPD officer has completed training related to this program and are ready to implement it immediately. The LBPD maintains a written directive related to this program which is available for instant public access and review. The written directive is attached to this post and is also available in the policy repository under the "PUBLIC INFO" drop down in the header of LititzPD.org. For more information about the Second Chance Program, click here.
PC: Matthew Reeves
Media contact: Media@LititzPD.org | Christopher Dreisbach, CEO, Blueprints for Addiction Recovery, 717-940-3159.
