(TASC) – The first-of-its-kind online course focused on first responder deflection is now available from the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN).

The eCourse, First Responder Deflection: A Warm Handoff to Services in the Community, introduces deflection as a community-centered approach for police and other first responders, treatment providers, and community partners to connect people with substance use disorders to treatment, deflecting individuals from justice system entry. 

This free, 90-minute eCourse is offered by JCOIN, a groundbreaking national initiative designed to advance scientific knowledge on effective policies, practices, and interventions, and to expand their use in daily practice within health and justice settings. The initiative is led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Featuring experts and practitioners in deflection, the eCourse presents five pathways of deflection that communities are using to connect people to services, and offers practical examples of how deflection is being implemented in a diverse array of community settings. It also offers resources for developing deflection initiatives, and guidance for incorporating evaluation into these efforts.

TASC's Center for Health and Justice and George Mason University’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) developed the deflection eCourse for JCOIN, with key practitioner contributions from the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC).

TASC is a partner in JCOIN’s Coordination and Translation Center (MPI, Taxman & Rudes, George Mason University), which offers an array of courses and resources to expand knowledge, build skills, and facilitate improved research, practices, and treatments for criminal justice and community settings.

Access to JCOIN’s eCourse on deflection is free; registration is required. A certificate of completion is offered at the end. Learn more and enroll.