A Police-Led Addiction Treatment Referral Program in Massachusetts

During the first year of a nonjudgmental referral program for drug detoxification and rehabilitation managed by the police department in Gloucester, Massachusetts, 376 persons presented for assistance; 85% had insurance, and the rate of direct placement was 94%. To the Editor: During the period from 2009 through 2013, only 21% of people with an opioid-use disorder in the United States received any type of treatment. 1 In response to increasing rates of overdose deaths in the community, the Gloucester Police Department developed the Angel Program, a voluntary, no-arrest program that offers direct referral for drug detoxification or rehabilitation treatment. 2 Police officers collect demographic information and call treatment centers to identify a facility for placement. The police department ensures that participants have access to immediate transportation to the treatment center, which is provided with an ambulance, if necessary. If the . . .