Recovery support specialists inside the jail: a program description of treatment engagement for opioid use disorder

Abstract

Purpose People living with opioid use disorder (OUD) disproportionately encounter the criminal justice system. Although incarcerated individuals with OUD face higher risk for withdrawals, relapses and overdoses, most jails fail to offer comprehensive medications for OUD (MOUD), including recovery support services and transition of care to a community provider. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation of a comprehensive MOUD program at a large county jail system in Maricopa County, Arizona. Design/methodology/approach The authors used the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) to develop a community-based, multi-organizational program for incarcerated individuals with OUD. The SIM is a mapping process of the criminal justice system and was applied in Maricopa County, Arizona to identify gaps in services and strengthen resources at each key intercept. The program applies an integrated care framework that is person-centered and incorporates medical, behavioral and social services to improve population health. Findings Stakeholders worked collaboratively to develop a multi-point program for incarcerated individuals with OUD that includes an integrated care service with brief screening, MOUD and treatment; a residential treatment program; peer support; community provider referrals; and a court diversion program. Recovery support specialists provide education, support and care coordination between correctional and community health services. Originality/value OUD is a common problem in many correctional health centers. However, many jails do not provide a comprehensive approach to connect incarcerated individuals with OUD treatment. The Maricopa County, Arizona jail system opioid treatment program is unique because of the ongoing support from recovery support specialists during and after incarceration.

Peer Workers in Co-production and Co-creation in Mental Health and Substance Use Services: A Scoping Review

“…Commonly, the studies described peer workers as bridges (Burke et al, 2018 ; Byrne et al, 2018 ; Cleary et al, 2018 ; Hillman et al, 2022 ; MacLellan et al, 2017 ) and individuals who facilitate connecting (Clossey et al, 2018 ; Harris et al, 2020 ; Van Zanden & Bliokas, 2021 ; Weir et al, 2019 ; Zeng & Chung, 2019 ), linking (Byrne et al, 2021b ; Jacobson et al, 2012 ; Martin et al, 2021 ; Otte et al, 2019 ; Scanlan et al, 2017 ), and navigating (Aminawung et al, 2021 ; Barrenger & Hamovitch, 2019 ; Brasier et al, 2022 ; Chisholm & Petrakis, 2020 ; Corrigan et al, 2017 ) and who function as advocates (Byrne et al, 2017 ; Ehrlich et al, 2020 ; Eisen et al, 2015 ; Scanlan et al, 2020 ; Wyder et al, 2020 ). Consequently, peer workers expand service users’ access to resources and increase their involvement with the service system.…”

“…We also included two articles from expert researchers in peer support in the mental health field: Oborn et al ( 2019 ) and Roennfeldt and Byrne ( 2020 ). Finally, we included three articles from 2021 from our systematic scanning of relevant research: Shaw et al ( 2021 ), Martin et al ( 2021 ), and Byrne et al ( 2021a ) (Fig. 1 ).…”