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:

---

Project Information

---

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.

#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. At this time, no other executive agency is willing to seek legislative approval. 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 that requiring Medicaid enrollment for youth 30 days prior to release. That project is undertaken by IDHW and IDJC; it is current stalled. The team has explored increasing CBAS services by leveraging Medicaid providers and reviewed Medicaid coverage criteria to identify opportunities to provide services for those needing congregate care.

#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 the list of services.

#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 training about those processes to judges and parole commissioners in each of the judicial districts, as well as updating APSI form. The trainings have been scheduled or completed.