CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The Chester County Sheriff’s Office was awarded from the U.S. Department of Justice the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program Grant, better known as COSSAP.
The grant worth $599,000 will provide diversion programs for those suffering with opioid addiction in Chester County.
Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey says his department will work in conjunction with the Hazel Pittman Center in Chester County to provide these programs to individuals with a goal to help them overcome their addiction and avoid the criminal justice system.
In a press conference held at the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Dorsey, Maria Bates from the Hazel Pittman Center, Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker, Deputy Solicitor Candice Lively, EMS Director Britt Lineberger all spoke about the importance of the grant and how their departments see firsthand the impact of overdoses in the community.
Dorsey says in the last 11 days the county saw at least 10 overdoses.
Below is more information about the grant and the programs it will provide. It is a 3 year grant and can be renewed. Dorsey says their next step is hiring the individuals needed to meet the needs of the program and they plan to implement it by July 1st, 2022.
Sheriff Dorsey says when he knew something needed to be done about the drug addiction problem in Chester County, he learned the Lancaster County Sheriffs office started this program in 2018 and it has been successful since. Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile was also at the press conference and talked about the success of the program within his county.
“The COSSAP Grant will revolutionize the way overdose victims and incarcerated individuals suffering from drug addiction are handled in Chester County.
This grant has four focuses:
1. Provide diversion programs for people addicted to drugs, as an alternative to entering the criminal justice system.
2. Provide Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), counseling, and case management services to the Chester County Detention Center.
3. Provide Naloxone (commonly referred to as NARCAN) to law enforcement and other first responders in Chester County.
4. Expand Drug Takeback Programs across Chester County.”
