Ohio
Serves Adams County
Operation Better Together is a local collaborative working to address issues related to child welfare, substance use disorders, and access to treatment for individuals and families involved in the criminal justice system. The initiative is built on partnerships between the court, probation, local health departments, behavioral health agencies, workforce development, child protective services, schools, law enforcement, and others. As a collaborative, the group works together to identify gaps and challenges and implement solutions. Programs and services involved in the collaborative include a jail-based treatment program, virtual counseling and psychiatry appointments, a "Justice Bus" that provides free legal aid and services, prevention events to reduce the number of children in foster care, employment services, victim services, and strategies for the largest local school district to identify and assist families in need. Operation Better Together maintains its partnerships through monthly meetings, subcommittees, and project champions who work together to share information across the collective and build bridges in the community.