Camden County To Expand Drug Treatment Program In Jail

At least 1,000 inmates at the Camden County Correctional Facility will receive Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program for opioid use disorder in the coming year, county officials announced on Monday.

MAT combines the use of anti-craving medication which reduce the effects of withdraw, with counseling and behavioral therapies that address behavioral issues and support recovery.

Its use is being expanded in the correctional facility after the county received a grant for about $600,000 from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, according to officials.

It was awarded in September and will soon be used to administer MAT medication, provide individual and group counseling, facilitate connections with treatment providers in the community, and to educate staff and the jail population about MAT.

With an additional grant of $100,000, the CCDOC will also implement a comprehensive strategy to monitor the implementation of MAT in the facility, as well as to track program outcomes and impacts as they pertain to continuity of care, rearrests, reincarceration, and overdose rates. There are three forms of MAT, and all have been used at the facility since February 2018.

“When nationwide, 75 percent of individuals suffering from substance use disorder relapse within three months of being released, it’s no wonder that recidivism and overdose rates are so high,” Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the Camden County Department of Corrections, said. “By beginning treatment prior to release, we can dramatically reduce the likelihood of relapse and accidental overdose for those reentering the community. It also gives us an opportunity to intervene, direct them to support services, and hopefully help end the cycle of substance abuse.

“Most of our jail population is with us for a very short amount of time, but by beginning this process, and connecting them with counseling resources in the community, this treatment can lead to dramatically positive outcomes. This is a life-saving treatment option, and we hope to find that by expanding the program, we’ll see fewer overdoses and lower rates of recidivism.”

As soon as someone battling addiction is admitted into the jail, they are enrolled in the program, officials said. Every person committed to the jail receives an on-site medical evaluation including an assessment for substance and alcohol abuse. Individuals who are identified as suffering from a substance use disorder may then agree to receive treatment while they serve their sentence.

After leaving the jail, successful program participants are connected with one of several community-based organizations which offer reentry services and continued medical treatment and counseling.

Anyone who continues the program after leaving the jail will receive a personalized care plan to continue treatment and counseling. Certified professionals will determine the appropriate level of non-medicinal treatment to accompany the rest of the treatment plan.

This program expansion is part of a comprehensive strategy to combat opioid use disorder by the county. Other initiatives include Project SAVE, an early intervention program at the municipal court level; putting naloxone in the hands of all first responders; and working with medical providers to limit opioid prescriptions have played a vital role in curbing the public health crisis.