Public Safety describes multiagency PSET to help communities address housing, substance use and disorder

Dan Bateson, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety, briefed the House Human Services committee on the Public Safety Enhancement Team (PSET), which the department said grew from COVID response work and now operates in seven (the presentation noted nine communities in later remarks) localities.

Bateson described PSET as a cross‑agency effort that brings state actors into local stakeholder groups to remove barriers and provide behind‑the‑scenes support. The team works with local partners on problems including housing, substance use and mental health and connects communities to best practices and technical assistance, data analysis from the Crime Resource Group (CRG), and regional convenings to share lessons learned.

Bateson cited a Bennington EMS pilot that pairs buprenorphine administration after overdoses with follow‑up by recovery coaches and treatment centers; the pilot aims to reduce travel barriers to medication‑assisted treatment. He said PSET seeks to scale such local innovations, help form ‘situation tables’ where multiple agencies coordinate responses to individual cases, and expand measurable outcomes through data collaboration.

Committee members asked how many additional communities PSET could add and whether the program would be dependent on requested funds. Bateson said PSET is already sustaining momentum through existing state and local resources, but targeted funding would expand data capacity, convenings and the ability to connect more communities to CRG expertise. He said the project is designed to build local capacity rather than replace community leadership.

No vote or appropriation decision was made in the hearing; Bateson’s presentation was accepted for the committee record and will inform budget and program discussions.