• Davida M Schiff, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Zoe M Weinstein, Lisa Chan, Megan Bair-Merritt, and David Rosenbloom.
• Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, 88 E. Newton, Vose Hall 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States; Division of General Academic Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, 125 Nashua St. Suite 860, Boston, MA 02114, United States. Electronic address: Davida.Schiff@mgh.harvard.edu.
• J Subst Abuse Treat. 2017 Nov 1; 82: 41-47.

BackgroundThe increasing rates of opioid use disorder and resulting overdose deaths are a public health emergency, yet only a fraction of individuals in need receive treatment.ObjectiveTo describe the implementation of and participants' experiences with a novel police-led addiction treatment referral program.MethodsFollow-up telephone calls to participants in the Gloucester Police Department's Angel Program from June 2015-May 2016. Open-ended survey questionnaires assessed experiences of program participants and their close contacts, confirmed police-reported placement, and queried self-reported substance use and treatment outcomes.ResultsSurveys were completed by 198 of 367 individuals (54% response rate) who participated 214 times. Reasons for participation included: the program was a highly-visible entry point to the treatment system, belief that placement would be obtained, poor prior treatment system experiences, and external pressure to seek treatment. Most participants reported positive experiences citing the welcoming, non-judgmental services. In 75% (160/214) of the encounters, entry into referral placement was confirmed. Participants expressed frustration when they did not meet program entry requirements and had difficulty finding sustained treatment following initial program placement. At a mean follow-up time of 6.7months, 37% of participants reported abstinence since participation, with no differences between participants who entered referral placement versus those who did not.ConclusionsA police-led referral program was feasible to implement and acceptable to participants. The program was effective in finding initial access to treatment, primarily through short-term detoxification services. However, the program was not able to overcome a fragmented treatment system focused on acute episodic care which remains a barrier to long-term recovery.Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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