Episode 294 | Just Outreach Teams for Substance Use in Rural Nevada
Original Release Date: July 26, 2024
In episode six of our Community-based Solutions for Substance Use Challenges season, Just Science sits down with Dr. Terry Kerns, Substance Abuse Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Nevada Office of the Attorney General, Dr. Katie Snider, owner of Justice Research LLC, and DJ Mills, Director of Mental Health and Deflection Programs at the Nye Communities Coalition, to discuss their COSSUP-funded MOST and FASTT programs, which help bridge the gaps between law enforcement and social services in rural Nevada.
To address the needs of justice-involved individuals with a substance use disorder, there are several opportunities for intervention, including pre-arrest, at the time of a behavioral health crisis; and post-arrest, once an individual has already been incarcerated. In rural Nevada, the Office of the Attorney General has pioneered two types of outreach teams, which help support individuals at both points in their involvement with the criminal justice system. Listen along as Dr. Kerns, Dr. Snider, and DJ discuss how Mobile Outreach Safety Teams, or MOST, and Forensic Assessment Service Triage Teams, or FASTT, operate, the state and local impact of these programs, and how grantees have overcome implementation barriers.
This Just Science season is supported, in part, by RTI Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, and by RTI Award No. 15PBJA-23-GK-02250-COAP, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Both are agencies within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast season do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.
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Episode Citation
Mullen, L., Kerns, T., Snider, K., & Mills, D. (2024, July 26). Just Science. Just Outreach Teams for Substance Use in Rural Nevada. [Audio podcast episode]. National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. https://forensiccoe.org/podcast-2024-cossup-ep6/
Guest Biography
Dr. Katie Snider earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology in 2023 from the University of Nevada, Reno. She began working as an evaluator for multiple diversion and deflection programs across Northern Nevada in 2019. Today, she is the owner of Justice Research, LLC. Dr. Snider provides data integration and analysis as well as program support and evaluation for Deflection and Diversion programs throughout Nevada.
Dr. Terry Kerns has an M.S. in Nursing and a Ph.D. concentrated in emergency management. Kerns practiced in various disciplines in nursing; medical/surgical, ICU, nursing staff development, and transplantation/donation. After her nursing career, she entered duty as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She worked an array of programs in the FBI such as health care fraud, weapons of mass destruction, hazardous materials/bombing, and terrorism investigations, ending her FBI career as the supervisor on the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Las Vegas, focusing on domestic terrorism investigations. After Kerns retired from her 21-year FBI career, she began her latest journey as the Nevada Attorney General’s Statewide Substance Abuse/Law Enforcement Coordinator. In this position, she blends her background, experience, and education to emphasize a holistic, multidisciplinary approach focused on law enforcement, healthcare, and public health professionals. The primary focus of this position is to address the opioid crisis. Kerns looks forward to engaging the multidisciplinary partnership in proactively addressing the opioid crisis through intelligence-lead initiatives.
DJ Mills serves as the Director of Mental Health and Deflection Programs at the NyE Communities Coalition, overseeing operations in Nye and Lincoln Counties. Over the past five years, he has been instrumental in developing the Forensic Assessment Services Triage Team (FASTT) Program in Nye County, focusing on community partnerships. Under his leadership, services within the Nye County Jail system have expanded to include intervention groups and a GED program in collaboration with the Nye County School District. Committed to evidence-based practices and community engagement, DJ continues to enhance rural and frontier deflection and diversion programs. His recent initiatives include expanding services to Lincoln County and developing a Mobile Outreach & Safety Team (MOST) response.