PTACC Suite of Deflection Resources
Submitted by Joanna Travis-Roberts
(ISSUP staff) -
The PTACC Suite is a free library of downloadable guides on deflection. It comes from the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC), a US network that brings together law enforcement, treatment providers and community groups. Deflection means police and other first responders connecting people with substance use problems to treatment and support, instead of arresting or charging them.
The suite covers:
- Introductory material: a PTACC one-pager, a fact sheet, and an Understanding Deflection primer slide deck (April 2025). Good for anyone new to the idea.
- Models and evidence: the “6 Pathways of Deflection” framework, a summary of key research findings, and a guide on deflection for young people.
- Policy and legislation: a model deflection law (2021), state-by-state summaries of deflection laws (2021 and 2025), and a series of policy briefs for state leaders on topics like what makes programmes succeed and how to bring in peer workers.
- Funding and data: a brief on using opioid settlement money for deflection, and a national survey of US deflection sites.
- Awareness: a guide and a proclamation template for National Deflection Week.
It’s most useful for people working where policing meets treatment, such as police and first responders, treatment and recovery services, peer workers, and policymakers designing diversion schemes.
