Community Oriented Correctional Health Services

Recent reports from Michigan and Alabama highlight a concerning trend: proprietary correctional healthcare vendors leaving states with unpaid bills to local providers and first responders.Key takeaways: ? Michigan DOC suing vendors for $35M in unpaid bills ? Alabama facing similar issues with tens of thousands in unpaid invoices ? Cost-saving promises by vendors not materializing ? Jurisdictions still liable in lawsuits despite vendor contracts ? Unpaid bills leading to increased rates and refusals from local providersIn brighter news: ? Medicaid expansion linked to better health outcomes for formerly incarcerated ? Oklahoma receives funding to improve re-entry for Medicaid-eligible individualsResearch highlights: ? Yale study: Jails show higher rates of uncontrolled cardiovascular disease risk ? Boston University: Elevated suicide risk in formerly incarcerated, especially ages 18-29 Stay informed! Sign up for the COCHS newsletter: https://cochs.org/ #CorrectionalHealthcare #Medicaid #PublicHealth #CriminalJusticeReform Daniel Mistak

?? Breaking News: Five More States Approved for Medicaid Coverage in Corrections ?? As of last week, HHS has authorized Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont to provide Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals up to 90 days before release. This groundbreaking move aims to:? Improve continuity of care ? Cover substance use disorder treatment ? Connect individuals to community-based providersThis expansion of the Medicaid Reentry Section 1115 Demonstration Opportunity marks a significant step towards addressing health disparities in the criminal justice system.What are your thoughts on this development? How might it impact healthcare outcomes for justice-involved populations? Melissa Denino Daniel Mistak #MedicaidExpansion #CriminalJusticeReform #HealthcareEquity

Help us provide one more life-changing full-year childcare grant in honor of Mother’s Day: https://lnkd.in/epJpHM8A I’m absolutely delighted to announce that Zorya Foundation is providing our first set of full-year childcare grants for women in healthcare roles. We’ve given away hundreds of childcare and caregiving grants to women working in healthcare roles since we established Zorya Foundation. But so far, these grants have covered just one month of childcare for one child. When describing what Zorya does, I often say it’s a little like Naloxone—our grants can help in the moment, but we are not a long-term solution to the lack of affordable childcare in this country, particularly for healthcare workers. So we are absolutely delighted that, for the first time, we’ll be providing full-year childcare grants, starting with three, $12,000 scholarships for moms working in healthcare roles. These first grants are provided by my personal donation combined with generous support from friend and business partner Kary Nulisch and his team at Castlemark Consulting. These full-year grants do not replace our one-time $1,000 cash grants, they are in addition to our regular programs. Why are we doing this? It will always be our goal at Zorya to do more. And it has been my personal mission to make a difference for women in the workforce. I believe I’ve been successful in the professional world in large part because I had access to consistent and high-quality childcare when my boys were young. I also have a traveling “Oldma” who still jumps on a plane at a moment’s notice to cover for my husband’s and my dueling travel schedules. Not everyone has this support structure, and I would not be where I am without having it myself. Having reliable childcare helps women stay and advance in the workforce. And in the healthcare industry, where we have a serious workforce shortage—and 80% of healthcare workers are women—we’ll not only help these women and their families, but patients across the country. One-time childcare grants are meaningful to our healthcare workers, but full-year support will be life-changing. Help us do more—with generous support from Lisa B., who is giving us a head start with a $2,000 donation, we are hoping to raise $10,000 from our community for a fourth, full-year grant ahead of Mother’s Day. Help us make a difference. All support in all amounts helps us. The application period for our full-year grants will open soon and be announced at the start of Summer 2024. Grantees will be chosen based on need. Nora Cox Jaime Bland DNP, RN-BC Mandira Singh Emma Nelson Joe Mercado Leslie Kirk Maggie O'Keefe Curtis Anderson Nadine Peever Melissa Denino Britteny Matero Mitch (Kost) Chaney Erin George Jennifer Williams https://lnkd.in/eCA6gzaa

#HRSA released a draft of public information notice (PIN 2024-05) that proposes to routinize the ability of Federally Qualified Health Centers (#FQHCs) to extend their care into our country's jails and prisons. However, there's a critical gap: the proposed policy excludes pretrial detainees. This oversight means that individuals who are incarcerated short-term, awaiting trial, do not benefit from these enhanced health services. Given that pretrial detainees can make up a substantial portion of jail populations, this exclusion poses significant challenges, not only for the detained individuals' health and well-being but also for public safety and public health at large. ?COCHS?has submitted comments to HRSA, urging them to reconsider the scope of their new policy. It is crucial that health services be accessible to all incarcerated individuals, regardless of their trial status. As our subscribers know all too well, the typical pre-trial detainee with a serious mental illness often discontinues their community-prescribed medication and is incarcerated due to publicly disruptive behavior resulting in criminal charges. Most #jails lack the means to identify the specific pharmaceuticals that stabilized these individuals in the community. Furthermore, even if such medications are identified, they are likely not included in the jail's formulary. This gap typically results in unnecessarily prolonged stays and increases the likelihood that patients, once released, are poorly stabilized and more likely to reoffend. Allowing FQHCs to continue the care of individuals who likely had been their patients in the community would, as already mentioned, benefit both public safety and public health. HRSA’s PIN 2024-05 is open for public comment. We encourage all our readers to engage with this issue and advocate for inclusive health policies that cover pretrial detainees. To do this, navigate to https://lnkd.in/gti5Xe_n and, under the “Policy” section, click on "Comment on Draft Policy." You will be directed to a site with a dropdown menu where you can select “Submit Draft JI-R Individuals PIN Feedback.” After registering, you will be able to comment on specific sections of the PIN. The exclusion of pretrial detainees is addressed in Section II. While COCHS talking points are included in this PDF (https://lnkd.in/gq8jkPXW), we encourage you to personalize your comments to reflect your concerns.

#HRSA released a draft of public information notice (PIN 2024-05) that proposes to routinize the ability of Federally Qualified Health Centers (#FQHCs) to extend their care into our country's jails and prisons. However, there's a critical gap: the proposed policy excludes pretrial detainees. This oversight means that individuals who are incarcerated short-term, awaiting trial, do not benefit from these enhanced health services. Given that pretrial detainees can make up a substantial portion of jail populations, this exclusion poses significant challenges, not only for the detained individuals' health and well-being but also for public safety and public health at large. ?COCHS?has submitted comments to HRSA, urging them to reconsider the scope of their new policy. It is crucial that health services be accessible to all incarcerated individuals, regardless of their trial status. As our subscribers know all too well, the typical pre-trial detainee with a serious mental illness often discontinues their community-prescribed medication and is incarcerated due to publicly disruptive behavior resulting in criminal charges. Most #jails lack the means to identify the specific pharmaceuticals that stabilized these individuals in the community. Furthermore, even if such medications are identified, they are likely not included in the jail's formulary. This gap typically results in unnecessarily prolonged stays and increases the likelihood that patients, once released, are poorly stabilized and more likely to reoffend. Allowing FQHCs to continue the care of individuals who likely had been their patients in the community would, as already mentioned, benefit both public safety and public health. HRSA’s PIN 2024-05 is open for public comment. We encourage all our readers to engage with this issue and advocate for inclusive health policies that cover pretrial detainees. To do this, navigate to https://lnkd.in/gti5Xe_n and, under the “Policy” section, click on "Comment on Draft Policy." You will be directed to a site with a dropdown menu where you can select “Submit Draft JI-R Individuals PIN Feedback.” After registering, you will be able to comment on specific sections of the PIN. The exclusion of pretrial detainees is addressed in Section II. While COCHS talking points are included in this PDF (https://lnkd.in/gq8jkPXW), we encourage you to personalize your comments to reflect your concerns.

Improving Health Outcomes for Justice-Involved Populations This week's COCHS newsletter highlights the critical importance of addressing the healthcare needs of justice-involved individuals to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism. Key Insights: Incarcerated individuals have higher rates of chronic health conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders compared to the general population. Providing comprehensive, coordinated care during and after incarceration is essential for supporting successful community reentry and reducing the risk of re-offending. Innovative programs like the?Transitions Clinic Network?are demonstrating the impact of tailored, patient-centered care models for this vulnerable population. "Individuals leaving incarceration face significant barriers to accessing healthcare and social services. By bridging this gap, we can empower them to manage their conditions, find stability, and break the cycle of recidivism." Dr. Shira Shavit, Executive Director, Transitions Clinic Network At COCHS, we're committed to driving systemic change and elevating evidence-based solutions that address the complex healthcare needs of justice-involved individuals. Follow us to stay up-to-date on the latest research, policy updates, and innovative programs transforming care for this underserved community. Sign up for our newsletter at www.cochs.org. #JusticeReform #HealthEquity #CommunityReintegration #RecidivismReduction #MentalHealth #SubstanceUseDisorder Melissa Denino Daniel Mistak Realness Project

Improving Health Outcomes for Justice-Involved Populations This week's COCHS newsletter highlights the critical importance of addressing the healthcare needs of justice-involved individuals to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism. Key Insights: Incarcerated individuals have higher rates of chronic health conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders compared to the general population. Providing comprehensive, coordinated care during and after incarceration is essential for supporting successful community reentry and reducing the risk of re-offending. Innovative programs like the?Transitions Clinic Network?are demonstrating the impact of tailored, patient-centered care models for this vulnerable population. "Individuals leaving incarceration face significant barriers to accessing healthcare and social services. By bridging this gap, we can empower them to manage their conditions, find stability, and break the cycle of recidivism." Dr. Shira Shavit, Executive Director, Transitions Clinic Network At COCHS, we're committed to driving systemic change and elevating evidence-based solutions that address the complex healthcare needs of justice-involved individuals. Follow us to stay up-to-date on the latest research, policy updates, and innovative programs transforming care for this underserved community. Sign up for our newsletter at www.cochs.org. #JusticeReform #HealthEquity #CommunityReintegration #RecidivismReduction #MentalHealth #SubstanceUseDisorder Melissa Denino Daniel Mistak Realness Project

Looking forward to this episode and speaking on #justiceinvolvedhealthcare #mentalhealth #behavioralhealth #SUD #policy #1115waivers #medicaid

This week's highlighted stories discuss MOUD in corrections and take differing perspectives on its efficacy. A JAMA study concludes that MOUD has nominal efficacy with males and less efficacy with females. In contrast to that, the article from Albuquerque reports on an auditor's findings at the Metropolitan Detention Center in that jurisdiction. Even though the facility was required to provide MOUD to incarcerated individuals, this care reached very few of the eligible detainees. The JAMA study and the article from Albuquerque raises many questions. In the JAMA study, what role if any did the self-selected sample of people impact the outcome? In Bernalillo County, we see a familiar scenario where mandated treatment was not delivered. Is this a case of correctional intransigence or just system chaos? In both cases were there bureaucratic hurdles in qualifying for methadone or buprenorphine? As was discussed in?last week's Editor's Note, the Department of Justice has now come out with a position that correctional facilities must provide medically assisted treatment to individuals with a substance use disorder at the point of incarceration under their ADA rights. It is a powerful combination, the DOJ policy with the recent Medicaid 1115 waivers and the funding that Medicaid entails. The impact of these levers being used will hopefully require better responses to mandated care and much needed further investigation of outcomes. Interested in learning more? Visit our website and get weekly newsletter https://cochs.org/ Daniel Mistak NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF METHADONE Melissa Denino #NationalCriminalJusticeMonth NAMI #JAMA #CMS #1115waivers #DOJ

Interested in learning about people with mental illness and how they are overrepresented in our nation’s jails and prisons. Nearly 80% of people released from prison in the U.S. each year have a chronic medical, substance use, or psychiatric condition, and the justice system faces difficulties creating meaningful connections to care. Hear from a national expert on the intersection of health care and the criminal justice system. Explore the history of mental health care and how policy choices have led to the development of parallel health care systems, with negative outcomes for those who are justice involved. Heat about the opportunities in a historic moment and how we can work to implement best practices that promote integration between behavioral health care and corrections, and policy solutions that improve access to quality care for people who are incarcerated. Please register for the NAMI webinar Criminal Justice and Mental Illness: A Webinar on The State of The Issue https://lnkd.in/gnhgWYGH and hear COCH's own Daniel Mistak #reentry #justiceinvolvedhealthcare #behavioralhealth #sud #oud #corrections Melissa Denino