Recovery Café – Closing the Gap in Frankfort, Kentucky

Dan Meloy of Cordata's O2SL & QRT National delivers Deflection Academy training in Frankfort, Kentucky.

When the Recovery Café opened its doors in the Church of the Ascension in January 2025, it filled a large void created by the loss of the local emergency shelter and a decline in available resources in Frankfort, Kentucky, In just over seven months, Recovery Café has positively impacted the lives of 72 people through recovery coaching, support groups, life skills classes, and spiritual and social engagement and empowerment. Frequent visitors of the Recovery Café obtain free membership, and with that, an opportunity to give back through community service at the café. Recently, the Recovery Café hosted Cordata’s O2SL & QRT National Deflection Academy training, a community-wide event to bring awareness to addiction and deflection initiatives. Recovery Café partnered with Frankfort Police Department (FPD), Wings of Hope Quick Response Team (QRT), Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (ASAP), and Expree Credit Union to bring over 30 agencies together for

Read more

Deflection Academy: CT CLEAR Initiative (Watertown, CT)

Deflection Academy: CT CLEAR Initiative (Watertown, CT)

Cordata’s O2SL & QRT National will be providing Deflection Academy training to the CT CLEAR Initiative in Watertown, Connecticut. This 2-day training course will inform and educate public safety, outreach team members, partners, and leaders on the field of Deflection, pre-arrest diversion, Community Safety and Well-Being, and other social health issues. It will offer an overview of nationally recognized Deflection pathways while focusing on engaging public safety in collaboration with their public health and community-based team members. These Deflection models are operating within communities across the United States.

Read more

O2SL and QRT National Deliver Groundbreaking Deflection Academy in Chautauqua County, New York

Chautauqua County, NY — Last month, Cordata’s O2SL and QRT National brought their nationally recognized, two-day Deflection Academy to Chautauqua County, New York, in partnership with Sheriff James Quattrone’s “CARES Program.” This initiative aims to foster a multi-sector, county-wide response to substance use disorders (SUDs) by bridging law enforcement, behavioral health, and community organizations to improve access, timeliness, and quality of care for individuals and families affected by SUDs. The CARES Program, or Chautauqua Comprehensive Addiction Response and Evaluation System, is a Sheriff’s Office initiative designed to increase the number of residents accessing SUD services while reducing recidivism rates in the criminal justice system. On November 10 and 11, nearly 30 professionals from public safety, public health, and community organizations across New York and the Chautauqua region gathered at Jamestown Community College to participate in the training. Led by Scott Allen, Cordata’s Deflection Academy principal instructor, and supported by experts

Read more

Deflection Academy: Chautauqua County, NY (Jamestown, NY)

Deflection Academy: Chautauqua County, NY (Jamestown, NY)

O2SL & QRT National will be providing Deflection Academy training to Chautauqua County, New York. This 2-day training course will inform and educate public safety, outreach team members, partners, and leaders on the field of Deflection, pre-arrest diversion, Community Safety and Well-Being, and other social health issues. It will offer an overview of nationally recognized Deflection pathways while focusing on engaging public safety in collaboration with their public health and community-based team members. These Deflection models are operating within communities across the United States.

Read more

Deflection Academy: Newtown Training (Newtown, CT)

Deflection Academy: Newtown Training (Newtown, CT)

O2SL & QRT National will be providing Deflection Academy training to Newtown, Connecticut. This 2-day training course will inform and educate public safety, outreach team members, partners, and leaders on the field of Deflection, pre-arrest diversion, Community Safety and Well-Being, and other social health issues. It will offer an overview of nationally recognized Deflection pathways while focusing on engaging public safety in collaboration with their public health and community-based team members. These Deflection models are operating within communities across the United States.

Read more

Deflection Academy: Hardin County (Elizabethtown, KY)

Deflection Academy: Hardin County (Elizabethtown, KY)

O2SL & QRT National will be providing Deflection Academy training to Hardin County, Kentucky. This 2-day training course will inform and educate public safety, outreach team members, partners, and leaders on the field of Deflection, pre-arrest diversion, Community Safety and Well-Being, and other social health issues. It will offer an overview of nationally recognized Deflection pathways while focusing on engaging public safety in collaboration with their public health and community-based team members. These Deflection models are operating within communities across the United States.

Read more

Paducah PD Recruiting for Groundbreaking Deflection Specialist Position

In Kentucky, the Paducah Police Department (PD) is breaking new ground in the effort to combat the opioid epidemic impacting the nation. They are currently seeking a compassionate, social sciences professional to fill a novel role as Deflection Specialist. This person would work alongside law enforcement to field referrals and connect people suffering mental health and substance use challenges with services and resources in the community. It is anticipated that this approach to policing will provide a lifeline for people struggling by interceding before arrest or incarceration. It also has the potential to reduce calls for service, decrease city-wide incarceration rates, improve community perception of law enforcement, and bridge the gap between law enforcement and vital resources to help those in need. The department is hoping to fill this position by the end of March.

Read more

Deflection Academy: McCreary County (Whitley City, KY)

Deflection Academy: McCreary County (Whitley City, KY)

O2SL & QRT National will be providing Deflection Academy training to McCreary County, Kentucky. This 2-day training course will inform and educate public safety, outreach team members, partners, and leaders on the field of Deflection, pre-arrest diversion, Community Safety and Well-Being, and other social health issues. It will offer an overview of nationally recognized Deflection pathways while focusing on engaging public safety in collaboration with their public health and community-based team members. These Deflection models are operating within communities across the United States.

Read more

Deflection 101 Webinar

Deflection 101 Webinar

O2SL & QRT National’s Daniel Meloy will be a key speaker for the Deflection 101 webinar presented by Ohio Deflection Association with support from the NEOMED Substance Use Deflection Initiative. This presentation will introduce the core concepts of collaborative community response and the larger topic of deflection with discussion around identifying key strategies and principles of deflection, differentiating it from diversion, identifying key stakeholders and partners, and exploring the Six “Deflection” Pathways.

Read more