Winchester police outline Addiction Response Officer program, urge more peer staffing

Winchester Police Chief Amanda Mehan and Corporal Nathan Morris briefed the Public Health and Safety Committee on the city's Addiction Response Officer (ARO) program, describing services the team provides and urging additional staffing to meet rising demand.

Morris, who said he has led the ARO effort since it began about a year and a half ago, told the committee the program adds a peer recovery specialist to bridge law enforcement and people living with substance-use disorders. "She kind of completes'—she adds that bridge between law enforcement and people that are suffering with substance abuse and addiction," Morris said, crediting the peer specialist with improving engagement and follow-through.

Why it matters: the ARO model focuses on linking people to treatment rather than relying only on enforcement. Mehan said the position was created after a council resolution in April 2023 and that having a peer has allowed analysts to move from general statistics to more specific program metrics to be reported later in 2024.

What the program does: Morris said the ARO team provides a mix of services tailored to each case, including referral and admission to treatment, transportation to and from facilities, assistance with court appearances, on-site visits at treatment facilities, and step-down planning after 28' to 30-day programs. The team also works with pretrial and court-mandated probation to enable direct transfers from jail into treatment when appropriate.

Committee questions and responses: Councilors asked for clarity on "basic daily needs." Morris said that can include transportation to court or treatment and providing appropriate clothing or mentoring arranged by the peer specialist. On whether in-person contacts are increasing, Morris said contacts are likely to grow and vary by client needs; some clients require weekly or multiple weekly visits while others need less frequent check-ins.

Partnerships and referrals: The ARO team coordinates with Valley Health's SBIRT pathway and the hospital's interim peer services; Morris also described collaboration with Berkeley County's Quick Response Team to support clients who live outside city limits but overdose within the city.

Staffing and funding: Councilor comments noted that Morris's position is currently paid from opioid abatement authority funds and that, according to a councilor comment, that funding is expected to continue "at least through 2028." Committee members and staff expressed concern about burnout for both Morris and the part-time peer specialist, who often handles client calls on days off. Mehan said the city hopes to grow the program, including making the peer recovery specialist a full-time position and expanding officer coverage as demand requires.

Data and next steps: Mehan said analysts will provide more detailed demographic and service-use reporting by the end of 2024 to help the council identify service gaps and target prevention. Several councilors requested a breakdown (age, employment status, housing status) and suggested mapping concentrations of need to inform future resource requests. No formal vote or budget decision was taken at this meeting; councilors indicated the information would be useful when considering midyear budget adjustments.

The committee did not take formal action on new funding at this session. Staff were asked to return with more detailed data and a possible recommendation for expanding the peer specialist role.