Daniel Meloy moderates a breakout session on the co-responder model on Nov. 14 at the 2022 National Law Enforcement Summit, hosted by PAARI. (Photo courtesy O2SL & QRT National) 
Scott Allen speaks as part of a session called “Mindshift: Traditional Policing to Non-Arrest Deflection’ on Nov. 15 at the 2022 National Law Enforcement Summit, hosted by PAARI. (Photo courtesy O2SL & QRT National)
BOSTON – The leadership team of Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & QRT National is pleased to share that several of its team members and partners shared their expertise and experiences as part of panels and breakout sessions during the 2022 National Law Enforcement Summit, hosted by the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI).
The National Law Enforcement Summit, which took place at Boston University on Nov. 14-15, brought together 180 law enforcement and public health partners from 22 states to share their successes in preventing drug overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment through non-arrest programs for individuals who are addicted to drugs.
“Expanding treatment and recovery initiatives and non-arrest programming is most successful when it involves knowledge sharing and collaboration,” said Scott Allen, O2SL & QRT National Chief Operating Officer. “Events like the National Law Enforcement Summit are an invaluable way for agencies and organizations to learn from each other and we are pleased to be able to contribute to that mission.”
Allen and O2SL & QRT National’s Mike Botieri and Daniel Meloy, along with their team members, instructors and partners from across the country moderated and participated in panels during the event.
Allen moderated the session “Law Enforcement Leadership in the Field of Deflection,” Meloy moderated a session on the Co-Responder Model, and Botieri moderated a session on Outreach and Overdose Follow-Up.
The “Introduction to the HUB Model” breakout session featured multiple O2SL & QRT National partners, including Dan Cortez of the Chelsea Police Department (MA) who is one of the lead Situation Table instructors; Brandon Fitch of Turning Point Recovery Community Center in Paducah, Kentucky who is part of the Quick Response Team that recently completed Situation Table training with O2SL & QRT National; and Tiffany Riley of KentuckyCare who is a Situation Table lead and also recently completed Situation Table training with O2SL & QRT National.
A breakout session on walk-in/self-referral and officer-referral programs featured Gloucester Police (MA) Lt. Jeremiah Nicastro who has provided instruction with O2SL & QRT National in several other states, including on the nationally recognized Angel Initiative, which originated in Gloucester.
Allen additionally participated in a breakout session titled “Mindshift: Traditional Policing to Non-Arrest Deflection.” Two instructors from Hamilton County, Ohio — Shana Merrick, Harm Reduction Director for Hamilton County Public Health, and Investigative Commander Tom Fallon from the Amberley Village Police Department and Hamilton County Heroin Task Force — also sat on the “Outreach and Overdose Follow-Up” panel.
Cordata Healthcare, a community response technology platform, was also present at the Summit.
O2SL & QRT National and PAARI announced a partnership in August. The organizations share a common mission to address the opioid crisis, substance use disorders and other community and behavioral health issues through shared, community responses that bring law enforcement together with public health and community providers to impact change. PAARI helps law enforcement agencies nationwide create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery, and O2SL & QRT National shares years of law enforcement leadership and subject matter experience to help community leaders gain an understanding of such pathways.
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