Integrated Reentry Services

The Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Program is designed to improve access to and delivery of services to offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness when they leave incarceration to reenter the community. BJA recognizes that a significant number of these adult offenders are in need of treatment in order to successfully complete their supervision, which in turn will reduce recidivism and promote public safety. Coordination among corrections, substance abuse and mental health treatment providers, correctional health, and parole or probation enables the development of collaborative comprehensive case plans that address criminogenic risk, substance abuse, and mental health needs.

The purpose of the program is to increase corrections systems’ ability to address the needs of offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness in order to reduce recidivism, and improve public safety and public health.

The focus of the Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Program is to provide standardized screening and assessment; collaborative comprehensive case management; and pre-and post-release programming that address criminogenic risk and needs, including mental illness and substance abuse.

Grant funds will be used to support the Durham County Integrated Reentry: Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness program. The goals of this program are to enhance the existing jail- and community-based support services implementing five core components: (1) integrated screening and assessment for mental illness and substance use disorders; (2) jail- and community-based integrated group treatment modules for adults with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders;(3) comprehensive and integrated reentry case planning completed in conjunction with a criminogenic risk assessment tool; (4) direct service staff trained in motivational interviewing; and (5) a warm handoff between reentry program staff and community-based behavioral health treatment providers. This program will serve 180 adults each year who are enrolled in the jail mental health unit’s chronic care caseload who have a co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness.

CA/NCF