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Substance support outreach strategy launching in Windsor and Amherstburg

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A new program to enhance substance support is launching in Windsor and Amherstburg.

The partnership focuses on strengthening community safety and well-being and supporting ongoing efforts to address the effects of the opioid and other substance crises.

It is made possible thanks to a $1.5 million grant (over three years) from the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General's Community Safety and Policing Grant Program.

Substance Supports in Neighbourhoods Accessed through Police Partnerships (SSNAPP) is a policing/neighbourhood outreach strategy that aligns with the approved Windsor Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being (RCSWB) plan and the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS).

The partnership, led by the Windsor Police Service, involves the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) and the City of Windsor and will assist individuals within the Windsor and Amherstburg area.

“This new partnership is both relevant and significant for our community. Not only will it help address identified policing and community needs, it will also allow our officers and the broader community to better understand substance use as a public health issue,” said Interim Chief Jason Bellaire.

The program is expected to enable constables to be visible and accessible in high-priority areas and high-risk settings, allow for coordinated place-based strategies and support both internal training and public education efforts on the available resources and needs of those affected by substance use and overdose.

The team will be led by WPS Const. Surjeet Gill and he will be supported by up to four members of the WPS Community Services Branch and further supported by a dedicated coordinator from the WECHU and the RCSWB Project Manager, Leonardo Gil.

The team will work together to engage individuals and address community concerns in high-priority areas and settings through the development of neighbourhood safety and action plans.

“This partnership will identify what resources are available and how to best access these resources,” said Bellaire. "Most importantly, through this team, we will all learn from people who have lived experience with substance use and will integrate those lessons into the work.”

To leverage existing community collaborative efforts, the team will activate key community-driven strategies from the Windsor Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) and the Windsor Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being plan.

“Through the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) we have seen the impact that these partnerships can have on reducing barriers and sharing knowledge to better address substance use in our region. SSNAPP will be the perfect complement to the WECOSS and the Community Safety and Well-Being plans and aligns closely with the principals that guide each,” said WECHU director of public health programs Eric Nadalin.

The program is expected to be fully operational by the fall.

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