Meramec Region Opioid-Affected Youth Initiative

The OJJDP FY 2019 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative(OAYI)will fund sites to develop a data-driven coordinated response to identify and address challenges resulting from opioid abuse that are impacting youth and community safety. The OAYI will support states, units of local government, and/or tribal governments to (1) develop a multidisciplinary task force with working groups to identify specific areas of concern; (2) collect and interpret data that will assist the task force in developing strategies and programming that will be used to better coordinate response efforts and resources; and (3) implement services that will address public safety concerns, intervention, prevention, and diversion services for children, youth, and families directly impacted by opioid abuse.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission will use funding to create a task force of stakeholders, engaging law enforcement and the judicial system to develop a multidisciplinary strategic response with the following goals: (1) increase agency collaboration to improve the public safety of children, youth, and families impacted by the opioid crisis; (2) develop or revise a minimum of three system-level policies or procedures to address the opioid crisis; (3) reduce negative outcomes for children, youth, and their families impacted by the opioid crisis; (4) implement a minimum of three multidisciplinary strategies to reduce youth and family opioid abuse and opioid-related deaths; and (S) implement at least two coordinated responses to improve outcomes for children involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems as a result of the opioid crisis. CA/NCF