With opioid overdose a leading cause of death following prison release, a new program was launched in June 2019 to prevent opioid overdose among women who are released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Oregon’s only women’s prison.
Host Karen James interviews Elizabeth Needham Waddell, PhD, Assistant Professor at OHSU-PSU School of Public Health; Dawnell Meyer, Behavioral Health Services Administrator for Oregon Dept. of Corrections; and Morgan Nelson, ROAR Certified Recovery Mentor and Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor employed by Bridgeway Recovery Services in Salem.
Reducing Overdose After Release from Incarceration or ROAR, this medication-assisted treatment program combines initiation of medication and peer support prior to release with an ongoing link to community substance use disorder treatment.
In collaboration with the Oregon Department of Corrections, ROAR is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of incarcerated women diagnosed with moderate to severe opioid use disorder. The program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has already recruited more than 30 participants.
Certified recovery mentor Morgan Nelson, formerly incarcerated herself, works with the women participating in the study connect to substance use disorder treatment and provide support for treatment retention and ongoing recovery efforts upon release from prison.
Waddell, principle investigator for the ROAR grant, is collaborating with researchers in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, OHSU School of Medicine, the Oregon State University/OHSU College of Pharmacy and Comagine Health in conducting the 3-year pilot study to evaluate the new opioid overdose prevention program.
Further information: news.ohsu.edu/2019/09/11/reducing-the-risk-of-post-incarceration-opioid-overdose-in-women.
Opioid Overdose Prevention: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Opioid-Overdose-Prevention-Toolkit/SMA18-4742
- KBOO