BOURNE – From Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office: The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration has awarded the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office $3.75 million over five years to provide Medication Assisted Treatment and recovery coaching to people with Opioid Use Disorder both during and post incarceration.
Receiving this competitive grant presents a tremendous opportunity. It allows recovery coaches to form personal connections and build trust with custodies while they are incarcerated and then continue to provide counseling and support once they leave jail.
The grant enables the Sheriff’s Office to fulfill its core mission, that is, to provide the gold standard of addiction treatment to improve public safety, create safer communities and put drug dealers out of business.
Substance use is a top predictor of criminal behavior. An estimated 70 percent of the people in our facility have a substance use disorder. “This grant gives us the potential to build a comprehensive system that supports individuals before release, at the point of reentry, and throughout their transition back into the community—ultimately strengthening recovery, improving public health and safety, and helping break the cycle of addiction and recidivism,” said Sheriff Donna D. Buckley.
It will enhance services not only at the jail, but at The Bridge Center, our re-entry center in Barnstable Village.
“Recovery cannot stop at the jail door,” Buckley said. “It is critical that individuals receive the support, connections, and resources they need while in custody to prepare for a successful transition back into the community—and that those supports continue after release. Establishing a true continuum of care, including connections to treatment, medication-assisted recovery, housing, behavioral health services, and community-based supports, can help prevent individuals from falling through the cracks during one of the most vulnerable periods of their recovery.”
The Bridge Center services currently include peer support from the PIER Recovery Center of Cape Cod, individualized treatment from High Point Treatment Centers, and Duffy Health Center’s Mom’s Do Care for parents with substance use disorder. Skilled Purpose provides a vocational carpentry program for those in recovery. For a complete list see our website bsheriff.net.
