OAG’s Program with Local Law Enforcement Connects Individuals to Treatment
LAPORTE – Attorney General Michelle Henry today announced that Sullivan County has joined the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI), a collaborative program launched by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and law enforcement to divert individuals in need to treatment services.
Sullivan County becomes the 24th county to join LETI as Attorney General Henry continues efforts to expand the program.
PA LETI is a law enforcement-led treatment initiative that will allow Pennsylvanians in Sullivan County seeking treatment for substance use disorder by contacting probation and parole enforcement, the sheriff’s department, county officials, and community stakeholders, who will then contact the Bradford-Sullivan Drug and Alcohol Single County Authority.
“I applaud Sullivan County’s attention to this crisis and the need to divert individuals from criminal charges and prison when treatment services are in the best interests of the person and community,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “By connecting individuals to the treatment they need, LETI saves lives, makes our communities stronger, and helps to minimize the stigma associated with substance use disorder. I commend the work that District Attorney Shaffer and our law enforcement partners across Sullivan County are doing to help build stronger, healthier communities.”
AG Henry said partnering with Sullivan County law enforcement agencies and others under PA LETI will:
- Open their doors to those suffering from substance use disorder.
- Help identify individuals seeking treatment services.
- Assist with ensuring that people have transportation to treatment services.
- Maintain relationships with our local drug and alcohol administration to understand availability, and collect data to study outcomes.
In Sullivan County, individuals can walk into the police barracks, probation office, sheriff’s department, or the local drug and alcohol authority and ask to be connected to substance abuse treatment. This program allows 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.
“I am grateful to the Attorney General’s Office for creating this partnership,” said Sullivan County District Attorney Julie Gavitt Shaffer. “I believe that the LETI program will open doors to help individuals suffering from addiction, and thereby prevent overdose deaths, reduce crime, and improve the lives of all impacted by substance abuse, including the participants, their families, and our community at large.”
The LETI program will continue the work that Sullivan County has been doing to address the substance use in their community.
“Bradford/Sullivan Drug & Alcohol, Single County Authority (SCA) is proud and excited to partner with the Attorney General’s Office and the Sullivan County District Attorney to bring the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) Program to Sullivan County,” said Karen Laboranti, SCA Director of Bradford/Sullivan Drug & Alcohol. “Partnering with law enforcement and various stakeholders through this initiative will offer individuals access to recovery pathways sooner, reduce strain on the legal system, and positively impact the stigma associated with substance use disorder.”
Since beginning in 2020, LETI has received nearly 700 referrals from concerned individuals throughout the Commonwealth.
Agent Janene Holter, PhD, 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 Berks, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Jefferson, Luzerne, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, and Wyoming counties. District Attorneys in Pennsylvania interested in starting a PA LETI program should contact the Office of Attorney General at 570-826-2483.
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