The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is pleased to announce that Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade attended the first-ever National Deflection Summit this week, which focused on law enforcement initiatives around the country to combat the opioid crisis, and the partnerships formed with mental and behavioral health organizations.

The summit, hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Alexandria, Va., served as a gathering place for police, prosecutors, treatment/clinical experts, researchers, and representatives from national law enforcement and behavioral health associations to discuss alternatives to arresting low-level offenders, as well as new methods for confronting the opioid crisis and addiction.

Hunter McDade presented to approximately 45 colleagues on P.A.A.R.I.’s success, as well as two models for substance abuse treatment outlined by the Gloucester Police Department and Arlington Police Department.

“I am both proud and thankful to present on behalf of P.A.A.R.I. at the Deflection Summit,” Hunter McDade said. “P.A.A.R.I. partners new and old are here to connect with agencies across the country to share strategies on how we can approach the disease of addiction differently and utilize the unique position of law enforcement to curb drug addiction both in our individual communities and nationwide.”