Hamilton County’s Education Medication Support Initiative

Hamilton County is situated at the southernmost tip of the state of Ohio, bordering Kentucky and Indiana. The United States Census Bureau estimates that as of July 1, 2021, 826,139 residents lived in the county. Hamilton County includes 49 distinct cities, villages, and townships, the largest of which is Cincinnati. In 2021, Hamilton County suffered 454 overdose deaths and continues to witness 50-70 overdoses per week across the County. As the opioid epidemic worsens, the Hamilton County Justice Center (HCJC) has unintentionally become the largest detox facility in Hamilton County. Of the 2021 overdose decedents, 76% had a history of incarceration at the HCJC. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is applying for the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s FY 22 Improving Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Outcomes for Adults in Reentry Grant Program, titled the Education Medication Support Project (EMS), to decrease the overdose death rate among individuals with a history of incarceration.  

The target population for this project includes adult inmates of the HCJC that suffer from substance use disorder (SUD). HCSO is partnering with Addiction Services Council and NaphCare to seek priority 1(A) consideration (Proposal Narrative pg. 10) to (1) Decrease the current 81% recidivism rate for program participants by 20% over the course of the three-year project period; (2) Increase the capacity for screenings by using standardized processes with validated tools and assessments (DAST-10, AUDIT, and TAPS) by 50% to screen 600 inmates annually and 1,800 total inmates over the course of the three-year project period; (3) Improve the provision of evidence-based treatment and recovery services to inmates by inducting medication assisted treatment (MAT) for eligible individuals. Inductions will be increased by 15% to induct 138 inmates annually, and 414 over the course of the three-year project period; (4) Provide evidence-based pre- and post-release substance use and cognitive behavioral interventions for inmates, and training for staff, to address criminogenic risk factors; and (5) Establish an advisory committee to monitor progress, ensure grant compliance, and deliver increased access to treatment, ensuring that all inmates have equal access to quality services from the HCSO.