City OK’s SSPD Partnership with RISE for Street Outreach Pilot Program

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council this week approved an agreement with RISE Housing and Support Services to “solidify a partnership” between RISE and the Saratoga Springs police Department for a street outreach pilot program. 

The Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, calls for a Certified Peer Recovery Advocate (CRPA) from RISE to accompany city Community Engagement Officers 2 days per week for 3 hours per day to area locations “where public drug and alcohol use has been observed frequently,” according to the agreement.  

The CRPA’s are charged with locating and identifying people who may need and/or are interested in receiving harm reduction services, accessing mental or physical care, and enrolling in substance use disorder treatment services. 

The pilot program is set to run from January through December 2025. RISE is responsible for CRPA salary costs for the entire year. 

RISE will also track pilot data such as the number of people receiving Outreach and Engagement services, their housing status, time spent in active addiction, co-occurring conditions, justice involvement, and the number of people who discontinue the OES services and the reasons why. 

The MOU was brought to the City Council via Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll.