The Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department (HPD) recommends that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing a Subaward Agreement between the City of Houston and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) for the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP). The University of Texas Health Science Center (HEROES Program) will partner with HPD on the US DOJ BJA grant award. HPD is the coordinating agency for the COSSAP grant and will collaborate with UT Health on the project. The project period will end September 30, 2024.
As background, the City of Houston (HPD) was awarded $1.2M of funding from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY21 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Site-based Program. This partnership allows HPD to continue its efforts to reduce the illegal distribution of Opioid-based drugs by developing a community-wide strategic plan to address the regional opioid epidemic. HPD will utilize $720,000.00 in COSSAP grant funds budgeted to UT Health to provide for associated costs for personnel, equipment, supplies, travel, and sub contracts.
The purpose of this agreement is to fund a collaboration between law enforcement and community service providers with a unified mission of connecting justice involved individuals with substance dependence to treatment rather than the traditional criminal justice response of arrest and incarceration. The Subaward Agreement provides for UT Health to offer outreach and out-patient services to individuals that have recently overdosed. The objective is to reduce the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other substances on individuals and communities, including a reduction in the number of overdose fatalities, as well as mitigate the impacts on overdose victims by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives.
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FY22
Year 1
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FY23
Year 2
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FY24
Year 3
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Total
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COSSAP Grant
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$240,000.00
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$240,000.00
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$240,000.00
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$720,000.00
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Fiscal Note:
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
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Troy Finner
Chief of Police