ONDCP Director Dr. Rahul Gupta Visits W/B HIDTA to Learn More about A Division for Advancing Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT)

This week, the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA) hosted a briefing for Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta on its “A Division for Advancing Prevention and Treatment,” known as ADAPT. ADAPT is facilitating public safety/public health partnerships both nationally and in the W/B HIDTA region. Dr. Gupta, National HIDTA Program Deputy Director Jayme Delano, and W/B HIDTA Executive Board Chair/DEA Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget, were among many participating in the briefing.

The briefing for Dr. Gupta began with a description of the purpose and activities of our A Division for Advancing Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) initiative, a national training and technical assistance provider funded by ONDCP. ADAPT’s mission is to advance knowledge, skills, and quality outcomes in the field of substance use prevention, while supporting successful integration of strategies informed by the best available evidence into communities. The initiative helps organizations translate evidence-based strategies; navigate the literature, tools, and methods for supporting these strategies; and connect to resources, mentors, peers, and partners. For more information on the initiative, visit ADAPT online to view its offerings, subscribe to The Prevention Post e-newsletter, and access extraordinary online workshops and learning resources for free, today.

The W/B HIDTA-funded public safety/public health partnerships highlighted at the briefing were The Martinsburg Initiative (TMI) in Martinsbsurg, WV, and the Berkeley (WV) Day Report Center. TMI, led by  Margaret Kursey and Martinsburg Police Department (MPD) Chief George Swartwood, serves to prevent substance use disorders, build strong families, and empower the Martinsburg community through police, school, community, health, and education partnerships. Among other activities, MPD officers regularly visit Martinsburg elementary schools to foster positive relationships. The Department offers a junior police academy, and incorporates trauma-informed policing. In 2021, TMI provided trauma-sensitive training to 30 school nurses, focusing on recognizing and addressing adverse childhood experiences; and TMI-funded social workers managed 126 student cases.

The Berkeley (WV) Day Report Center’s Community-based Assessment and Treatment for Adolescents and families to Launch Interventions for Substances and Trauma (CATALIST) program, led by Tim Czaja, provides wraparound support for county youth and families. The program is free for youth ages 12-18 and their caregivers. It helps youth and their caregivers understand their risk levels for substance use mental health disorders, and trauma; offers early interventions for substance misuse, or mental health, or trauma symptoms; and provides effective treatment, recovery, and support services for youth and their caregivers.  

We are thankful for Dr. Gupta’s support and his sincere interest in our public safety/public health partnerships.