Iowa Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Grant - 2024

The Polk County Jail is overcrowded with offenders whose release is often delayed due to the lack of adequate supervision, placement, and substance abuse treatment services. The grant-funded RSAT program addresses these needs in a unique setting—within an otherwise vacant wing of the jail. While clients are housed in the facility and receive various treatment and other services onsite, they are not considered incarcerated and are allowed to leave the facility to support their families, work, and participate in a range of community-based habilitation services.

The jail identifies inmates who may qualify for the RSAT program, and the contracted treatment provider, Bridges of Iowa, conducts a substance abuse needs assessment. Inmates who qualify for the program are then referred to the County Attorney, who, with input from jail and treatment staff, petitions the court for conditional release to the RSAT program.

The RSAT program is designed to transition offenders with significant substance abuse issues back into the community. The program provides clinically managed medium-intensity residential substance abuse treatment as part of a comprehensive treatment protocol that addresses a broad range of challenges commonly faced by criminal justice clients. Auxiliary programming includes medical services through the county hospital, healthy relationships, cognitive-based counseling, financial literacy, education, employment, mental health services, and other services as determined by individualized treatment plans. Substance abuse treatment and several life skills programs are provided onsite by Bridges staff, while others are offered in the community through existing resources. Transportation assistance is available for clients who need it to access community-based services and attend work or school.

Bridges staff develop a master treatment plan for each client, identifying strengths, weaknesses, areas of concern, treatment activities, and short- and long-term goals. The program is designed to facilitate active participation in the recovery process, and the treatment plan is updated regularly as required by state licensure. Bridges works with the Fifth Judicial Department of Correctional Services (probation/parole) to provide case management, refer clients to services, and hold them accountable for progress on their treatment plan.

The goal of the program is to establish an intensive Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program aimed at breaking the cycle of addiction and incarceration. The objectives and expected outcomes include diverting 100 non-violent offenders from the Polk County Jail to the RSAT program annually, with 80% of participants successfully completing the program. All clients admitted to the RSAT program will receive treatment that adheres to federal RSAT guidelines. The program will conduct and track pre- and post-testing to assess client understanding of treatment information. Additionally, 90% of clients discharged from the RSAT program will receive a referral to a community-based recovery program, and 90% of RSAT graduates will not return to jail within two years post-graduation. Furthermore, 95% of RSAT clients will be employed or enrolled in school at the time of graduation, and 75% of graduates will remain sober five years post-graduation.

This is a continuation project that is currently fully operational, and we anticipate diverting 100 clients to treatment during the project performance period.