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Co-occurring Disorders Treatment and Multi-disciplinary Release Planning

Award Information

Award #
2010-RW-BX-0005
Location
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2010
Total funding (to date)
$600,000

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2010, $600,000)

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison and jail and returning to communities, including resources to address the myriad needs of these offenders to achieve a successful return to their communities. Section 201 of the Second Chance Act authorizes the Second Chance Act Reentry Demonstration Program Targeting Offenders with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders Program, which is designed to provide treatment and recovery support services to offenders during incarceration and after their return to the community. This section specifically addresses the treatment needs of offenders who have substance abuse disorders and authorizes grants to states, units of local government, territories, and Indian tribes to improve the provision of drug treatment to offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities during the period of incarceration and through the completion of parole or other court supervision after release into the community.

The term co-occurring disorders (COD) refers to co-occurring substance-related and mental disorders. Clients said to have COD have one or more substance-related disorders as well as one or more mental disorders. At the individual level, COD exist when at least one disorder of each type can be established independent of the other and is not simply a cluster of symptoms resulting from [a single] disorder. Projects will implement or expand offender treatment programs for re-entering offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Programs should require urinalysis and/or other proven reliable forms of drug and alcohol testing for program participants, including both periodic and random testing, and for former participants while they remain in the custody, or under community supervision, of the state, local, or tribal government.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDC) will utilize funds to accomplish the goals of reducing recidivism, increasing participation in integrated treatment, and
improving continuity of care for offenders leaving prison. The key project deliverables are to implement a new integrated treatment program for 40 individuals (annually) with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Lino Lakes; develop a new protocol for release planning for individuals with co-occurring disorders that will target essential transition needs and incorporates Multidisciplinary Reentry Teams including treatment and prison facility staff, communitybased providers, and supervising agents; create systematic linkages with treatment providers; organize two community forums for professionals serving offenders with co-occurring disorders; teach a multi-week Reentry Facilitation course curriculum.

CA/NCF

Date Created: September 1, 2010