The Office of Attorney General’s Program with Local Law Enforcement Connects Individuals to Treatment
HONESDALE — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced today that Wayne 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.
Wayne County becomes the 26th county to join LETI as Attorney General Henry continues efforts to expand the program.
PA LETI is a law enforcement-led treatment initiative that enables Pennsylvanians in Wayne County seeking treatment for substance use disorder to contact probation and parole services, the sheriff’s department, other county officials, and community stakeholders, who will then contact Wayne County Drug & Alcohol Commission.
“I applaud Wayne 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 Howell and our law enforcement partners across Wayne County are doing to help build stronger, healthier communities.”
AG Henry said partnering with Wayne 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 Wayne 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 substance abuse treatment. 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.
The LETI program will continue the work that Wayne County has been doing to address the substance abuse in their community.
“The foundation of the LETI program is support from law enforcement officers, as well as others, to guide individuals who are suffering from addiction into treatment sooner rather than later. LETI empowers law enforcement, and everyone in our communities, to help those struggling with addiction to be referred to treatment options rather than ending up straight into the criminal system. Along with other programs, like our drug and treatment court and pre-trial diversionary programs, LETI will save lives and build stronger, safer and healthier communities,” said Wayne County District Attorney A.G. Howell.
Since beginning in 2020, LETI has received nearly 900 referrals from concerned individuals throughout the Commonwealth.
“The Wayne County D&A Commission/ SCA is very pleased to be part of this collaboration between law enforcement and treatment/recovery. A critical part of our office’s mission is to help increase access to treatment and recovery services to our most vulnerable community members. The implementation of LETI will be a major step forward in the furtherance of that goal along with reducing stigma and overdose deaths. I have no doubt LETI will help save lives in Wayne County,” said Jeff Zerechak, Executive Director, Wayne County Drug & Alcohol.
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, Indiana, Jefferson, Luzerne, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan 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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