Criminal Justice – Continuum of Care

Treatment #3: 
Ensure contintuity of care for those entering and leaving the criminal justice system by providing treatment and ensuring links to services for those coming out of incarceration.

Sponsored by:

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Project Information

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The IBHC Criminal Justice Continuum of Care Implementation Team originally identified four action items during their team kickoff meeting.

#1 Expand Peer Recovery Services – Recognizing the importance of reintegrating offenders into the community, this action team wanted to replicate a successful program in Region 7 across the state.  To do this, they needed to strengthen the peer support specialist profession itself. The team developed objectives around increasing the number of peers, creating local and statewide professional networks, streamlining the certification process and strengthening training and oversight.  Simultaneously, the IBHC Workforce implementation team selected a nearly identical action item to strengthen the peer support workforce. The two teams met and divided their scopes of work, with the Workforce team keeping the certification process already underway at IDHW and the CJ CoC team focusing their training efforts on the development of a forensic endorsement for peer works.  The CJ CoC action team will continue to monitor the progress of the Workforce team. This team has developed a network of peer recovery professionals via a monthly meeting of recovery center leadership.  They are also reviewing existing curriculum toward establishing a forensic endorsement for peer and recovery coaches.

#2 Funding for IDOC and IDJC for preparing for release/independent assessors– This team is exploring options for funding behavioral health assessments for individuals preparing to release from incarceration. The most cost-effective resource for funding these assessments is to obtain a Medicaid 1115 waiver to pay for those services. However, Idaho requires legislative approval for making any changes and has prohibited IDHW from seeking a such a waiver. The objective to seek a waiver is closed unless directed otherwise by the IBHC. However, the team has drafted a one-pager of talking points about the benefits of the waiver. 
This team is also monitoring the implementation of a federal law requiring Medicaid enrollment for youth 30 days prior to release. That project is undertaken by IDHW and IDJC; it is current stalled and needs legislative authorization. This team reviewed approaches to pre-release services involving 1115 waivers and use of Consolidated Appropriations Act authority to access Medicaid funds for payment for services.  They also reviewed the potential for providers serving juveniles post-release from incarceration to engage more fully with Medicaid funding.  In both cases, the barriers involving funding and administrative burden were big enough that they did not find avenues to pursue effectively in the near term.  They would still like to find solutions for individuals needing congregate care to provide resources  steps and are reviewing additional options to explore in 2026. 

#3 Expand use of MAT/MOUD across the system – This team is focused on identifying the resources available to provide MAT/MOUD across the state and researching evidence-based supervision systems to make a recommendation of best practices.  They have compiled and distributed the list of services, and are now researching other states’ best practices for supervision systems for the population receiving MAT/MOUD.

#4 Cross-agency Collaboration – This team originally intended to create a multi-agency partnership for screening, court processes, case management, alternative placement, and non-incarceration PV options. However, there weren’t enough team members engaged to accomplish those objectives. They scaled back to focus on providing presentations about those processes to judges and parole commissioners in each of the judicial districts, as well as updating the APSI form. These presentations on understanding clinical assessments and the rider program have been completed.