Underwood Announces $900,000 in Funding for DeKalb County to Support Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Treatment Program
WEST CHICAGO – Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced that DeKalb County will receive $900,000 in funding to establish a new program to help individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although substance use disorder and other mental health issues are medical conditions, individuals with these conditions often get caught in the criminal legal system instead of receiving the health care and services they need. The DeKalb County Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Other Substance Use Disorder Project (COSSAP) seeks to provide immediate access to treatment and recovery services for people with SUDs who enter the criminal legal system and ensure that participation in treatment programs is taken into account in sentencing. The funding has been made available by the Department of Justice to support collaboration between the State's Attorney's Office, local law enforcement agencies, other local agencies, and mental health service providers throughout DeKalb County.
"This program will ensure people receive the proper treatment and recovery support they need to succeed post-treatment," said Underwood. "Through this funding, we take a step toward enhancing inpatient and outpatient care for those who struggle with addiction."
The need for support programs within the district is clear. Statistics from the DeKalb County Coroner's Office show that the number of deaths from overdoses rose 160% in the first five months of 2021 as compared with the first five months of 2018. Additionally, outpatient services are only available in the two largest communities, DeKalb and Sycamore, and there are no inpatient facilities located in the county. COSSAP will work to identify community members with SUDs who enter the criminal legal system, assist people with gaining access to treatment services, and sustain recovery progress by linking them with local support services upon release from treatment.
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