This story is associated with a fiscal year 2020 award made to Boulder County (Colorado) through the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program. The grant award amount was between $500,000 and $999,999.
About the Program
This program focuses on jail reentry for individuals with moderate to severe substance use disorders. Most participants enter the program homeless.
Program Successes and Effect on the Community
In August of 2022, Health Management Associates interviewed 12 key stakeholders associated with the project, including leadership with law enforcement, judicial, and social services across Boulder County, Colorado, as well as a few internal program staff. Interviews were focused on what is going well with the program, what could be improved, and any outcomes that key stakeholders had observed.
Key stakeholders who were interviewed all believed that the program is very necessary and that it is being implemented well. They noted that the partnerships between the program and external entities (i.e., law enforcement, judicial, and social services) are quite strong and that the program is strengthening the entire sector that serves the target population as well as the individual organizations. Leaders reported being able to do their jobs more effectively as a result of the program. Additionally, key stakeholders thought that the program was making progress in serving the highest need clients and helping move them toward stability and reduced recidivism.
The primary suggestion for improvement was to expand the program so it could serve more people. Other suggestions included having a prescriber available to do outreach with the case managers, having more housing available for people, and having quicker access to needed referrals, such as for intensive mental health services.
If your agency, organization, or community has been positively impacted by BJA funding, let us know.