Colorado Department of Corrections: Community Peer Support and Early Intervention Program

The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC), Clinical Division will use funding for the Community Peer Support and Early Intervention program for people with moderate mental health needs and moderate to high substance use needs who are reentering the community in the Denver (Colorado) Metro area that includes the six central counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson. In 2023, there were 1,185 individuals that were released on parole with identified mental health needs and a moderate to high substance abuse need to the Denver Metro area: 48% of these individuals were Caucasian, 32% were Hispanic, 15% were black, 3% were Native American Indian, and the other 2% were Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Other.
The goal of the Community Peer Support and Early Intervention program is to provide specialized case management and peer support services to adult individuals who are reentering the community with co-occurring mental health needs and moderate to high substance use needs to reduce the number of these individuals who end up in crisis and abscond, need hospitalization, receive jail time, or revocation and improve their overall reentry experience. This program will initially focus on the targeted population of individuals with moderate mental health needs and moderate to high substance use needs who are reentering the Denver Metro area on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). The number of individuals estimated to be releasing is 20 individuals per month. The intent is to increase the number of individuals served as programming is defined and duplicate the program in other parole offices throughout Colorado.
In addition to specialized case management and peer support for the targeted population, CDOC will provide pre-release case management and planning and offer in-reach appointments. Post-release, the Work and Gain Education and Employment Skills (WAGEES) program with seven community-based partners who assist offenders in case management, mentoring, education, employment, supportive services, benefit acquisition, identification acquisition, parenting/family reunification, cognitive behavioral programs, gang disengagement, housing, and transportation will be available.