TUCSON, Ariz. — A new project working to fight opioid addiction has been established with a a three-year grant of $1.47 million.
Unified Medication Assisted Treatment Targeted Engagement Response, or U-MATTER, wants to help direct addicts towards recovery, instead of serving time in jail.
It's a partnership between the University of Arizona, the Tucson Police Department, CODAC Health, Recovery and Wellness and Pima County.
In addition, local agencies received $550,000 from Arnold Ventures.
With the money, UArizona's Southwest Institute for Research on Women will continue to evaluate the Tucson Police Department's deflection program.
"Before the deflection program, when TPD officers came across people in the community who were using substances or had drug paraphernalia on them, they would be arrested," said Josephine Korchmaros, director of the Southwest Institute for Research on Women.
TPD launched its deflection program in July 2018.
You can read more about the program here.
