Knocking down barriers in Lee’s Summit: Settlement goes to help those with addiction

Once people struggling with substance abuse make the decision to get help, they often face a number of barriers. The Lee’s Summit Police Department is working to eliminate roadblocks through its Safe Passage program. Originally launched in 2018, this partnership involving law enforcement and behavioral-health organizations provides greater access to recovery services.

When the Lee’s Summit Police Department started the Safe Passage Program, it had no funding, said officer Michael Isberg, crisis intervention team coordinator for the department.

“Instead, it was a collaboration between the Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center and LSPD and lacked immediate access to inpatient substance use treatment.”

The program received a financial boost in 2023 when the Lee’s Summit City Council approved earmarking the city’s opiate settlement money to fund immediate inpatient treatment for people suffering from substance-use disorders as well as co-occurring disorders due to opiate addiction, he added.

The city of Lee’s Summit’s Safe Passage program is scheduled to receive approximately $420,000 from this legal settlement, which is the result of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and distributors responsible for the proliferation of prescription opiates.

This program is a significant shift in law enforcement’s approach to substance-use issues, according to Lee’s Summit Police Department officials, and reflects the department’s commitment to community well-being and providing a more compassionate response to this issue.

Currently, the police department is partnering with the Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center, (managed by ReDiscover), ReDiscover’s Substance Use Disorder Program, the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change and the American Addiction Centers.

Participation in Safe Passage is voluntary and begins when an individual requests help either in person at the police department, by calling 911 or by approaching an on-duty officer. When someone requests Safe Passage, the officer asks several simple questions, Isberg said, beginning with whether the individual has any illegal substances on them.

“If the person does, the officer will take the substances and place them into our property system for safe destruction,” he added. “The person will not be charged with any crime since they asked us for help.”

Those seeking Safe Passage are also asked about health insurance. If the person is insured, the officer contacts the American Addiction Center to help the individual screen into their residential program.

“Within four hours, that person will have a taxi ride to the airport, where they will be put on a flight to whatever location their in-patient treatment will be held at,” Isberg said.

For those without insurance, officers contact the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change and then transport them to the center so treatment can begin. During after-hours periods, officers take anyone seeking Safe Passage to the Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center, which provides support and a place to stay until the Heartland Center opens.

For those not interested in inpatient services, Safe Passage offers outpatient treatment options.

Following treatment, Isberg said Safe Passage support continues and includes assistance with transitioning back to the community as well as housing, employment, peer support and medication services.

Safe Passage focuses on treating people with compassion and support.

“Because of this revelation and because our law-enforcement officers are focused on helping and supporting the community when someone requests Safe Passage, our officers immediately respond by assuming the role of protector and working to get the individual the help they need,” Isberg said.

Another important aspect of Safe Passage is its emphasis on meeting people where they are in life.

“Rather than taking a cookie-cutter approach that assumes all people are the same, our partners realize that each person is different with different needs,” he said. “By having the flexibility to tailor a treatment to fit that person, our partners greatly increase the chances of success for that person.”

In addition to helping these individuals and their families, Safe Passage benefits the community. If someone’s abuse issues prevent them from working, result in potential criminal activity or hospital visits from an overdose, the cost can be substantial, Isberg said.

“If we can help that person get back on their feet, that drain on resources turns into a surplus,” he added. “Now that surplus can be used to help others.”

Safe Passage also emphasizes treating each individual as someone worthy of support.

“As human beings, we make mistakes, fail and do things we are ashamed of,” Isberg said. “I want to think that someone who has made a mistake and reaches out for help in dealing with that mistake would have the community’s support to get that help.”

Since it began in 2018, the Lee’s Summit Police Department has had approximately 130 people request Safe Passage. Currently, all police officers receive training on Safe Passage.

Eligibility for Safe Passage participation is open to any adult struggling with substance use issues including alcohol, opiates, methamphetamine and other substances.

“The only limitation is if the person has a warrant for their arrest,” Isberg said. “We are law-enforcement officers and are required to adhere to the judge’s order as stated on the warrant.”

For more information, go here or call Lee’s Summit Police Department at 816-969-7390.