This article written by TASC’s Center for Health and Justice (CHJ) appeared in the June 2020 edition of "Catching Up With COSSAP," an online newsletter distributed by the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP).  

CHJ is a COSSAP training and technical assistance partner and helps grantees implement evidence-based, systemic solutions at the front end of the justice system to respond to the substance use that often contributes to contact with the justice system. 

"Among its many consequences, the opioid crisis has placed increasing demands on first responders—law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel—compounding the already high levels of jobrelated stress and trauma they experience daily. On the front lines of the crisis, many have taken on new duties that stretch well beyond their traditional ones. This is especially true of the law enforcement workforce, which in many cases has not been part of the primary response to public health emergencies. And now, as first responders take on a vital role in the national emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an extra layer of potentially traumatic exposures has been added to their workloads."