PARTNER SITE (Current)
Ventura County Sheriffs's Office
Ventura County, California
Overview/Goals
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office seeks to expand SUD care and treatment retention for the high-risk population it serves. The project aims to address the rising prevalence of SUD in the county, through early identification of persons with SUDs in the county jail system and improved delivery of treatment and supportive services.
Approach
This project provides services for participants while in jail and after return to the community, including uniform SUD screening at intake, access to in-custody medication for OUD (MOUD), and community SUD aftercare and housing stability for those referred for ongoing SUD treatment. Wellpath, VCSO’s contracted in-custody healthcare provider, is partnering to implement SUD screening at intake, including an in-project trial to compare two SUD-assessment tools. Wellpath will also work with the VCSO team to increase the number of jail residents deemed eligible for MOUD. Benefitting from a collaboration with both a private hospital system, Community Memorial Health System (CMHS), and the Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) Services SUD treatment team, the project provides a patient navigator and increased capacity and coverage for those re-entering the community.
Partners