LAPORTE — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the expansion of the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) in Sullivan County to include a new behavioral health component, further strengthening the county’s response to substance use and mental health challenges.
Sullivan County has been an active participant in LETI and is now the sixth county in Pennsylvania to incorporate the program’s behavioral health services component – enhancing its ability to connect individuals with the appropriate level of care based on their specific needs and assessments.
LETI is a collaborative program launched by the Office of Attorney General in partnership with district attorney’s offices and other law enforcement to divert individuals suffering from substance use disorder or from behavioral health concerns from potential criminal prosecution by being referred to treatment services or case management.
“LETI is an important tool in addressing both substance use disorders and the broader mental health crisis impacting communities across Pennsylvania,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I commend Sullivan County and District Attorney Gavitt Shaffer for continuing to build on this program and for their commitment to being part of the solution. Expanding LETI to include a behavioral health component ensures more individuals can access the help they need, when they need it.”
AG Sunday said partnering with Sullivan law enforcement agencies PA LETI will:
- Strengthen community efforts to redirect individuals struggling with substance use or behavioral health away from arrest or incarceration and toward community-based treatment and recovery services.
- Create more accessible pathways to treatment and case management by empowering law enforcement and prosecutors to make direct referrals to the county for substance use, behavioral health or both.
- Foster trust and collaboration between law enforcement, the District Attorney’s office and the communities they serve by offering help and resources rather than arrest and furtherance of prosecution when able.
In Sullivan County, individuals can walk into the police station, probation office, sheriff’s department, or the local drug and alcohol authority and ask to be connected to drug and alcohol or behavioral health services. This program also empowers law enforcement to offer treatment to people suffering from addiction and will help stop the revolving door that exists for individuals who do not receive treatment.
”As District Attorney, I not only have the responsibility of prosecuting crimes, but I also have the opportunity to change peoples’ lives,” District Attorney Julie Gavitt Shaffer said. “Our original LETI Substance Abuse program, together with the newly added Mental Health program, will build upon and complement the programs already in place for our county. It will make better use of our partnerships with the Single County Authority and our Mental Health Professionals. By increasing the ability of people to connect with services at the earliest stages, we can really make a difference, a difference in the lives of those with behavioral health needs, a difference in their families, and a significant difference in our community.”
To date, LETI has received over 3,100 referrals from concerned individuals throughout the Commonwealth.
Agent Lauren Diller is the Office of Attorney General’s dedicated full-time agent who coordinates PA LETI. Her work includes training, writing policies for each participating county, convening key community stakeholders, and case management of LETI referrals.
LETI currently operates in Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Bradford, Butler, Cameron, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson, Lebanon, Luzerne, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
District Attorneys in Pennsylvania interested in starting or expanding a PA LETI program should contact the Office of Attorney General at 717-787-3391 or 833-OAG-4YOU.
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