This publication of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) discusses collaborative law enforcement programs to help children affected by the opioid epidemic.
This publication of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) discusses collaborative law enforcement programs to help children affected by the opioid epidemic. The 2020 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program National Forum highlighted the importance of law enforcement collaboration across systems to support children exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Multiple groups during the forum detailed community processes for proactively responding to ACEs in light of the opioid, stimulant, and substance abuse epidemic. This report describes how programs leverage cross-system collaborations, discusses ACEs and their connection to substance misuse, and details initial considerations and helpful resources for communities interested in replicating successful programs ACEs are potentially traumatic events experienced during childhood. Examples of ACEs include abuse, neglect, and household challenges such as substance abuse by a parent or other member of the household. Children exposed to ACEs and other adversities—including racism, poverty, and community violence—can experience toxic stress, which is the excessive and prolonged activation of a body’s stress response systems.