Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has licensed first-in-state program to administer medications for opioid use disorder inside a correctional facility
LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–YesCare, the nation’s leading provider of correctional healthcare, has received a license from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to operate the first jail-based opioid treatment program in the state of Kentucky offering all FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) under one license.
YesCare began providing treatment for OUD at the Louisville Metro Detention Center on April 1. Initially, patients receiving methadone have been serviced by a community partner, but upon passing the final DEA audit, LMDC patients will be able to receive all FDA-approved medications under the YesCare-licensed opioid treatment program.
“YesCare has been a trusted, diligent, and caring healthcare partner to LMDC since March 1, 2024,” said LMDC Chief Jerry Collins. “Adding this first-of-its-kind opioid treatment program inside our facility will allow us to treat patients more efficiently, increase safety for our staff and residents, and improve health outcomes and reduce recidivism rates once our residents are returned to their communities. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with YesCare on this invaluable program.”
“This is the first program of its type in Kentucky. As such, state auditors had never licensed an opioid treatment program within a correctional facility before,” said Crystal Gold, YesCare’s National Director of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Services. “Even so, the auditors told us this was the fastest they have ever licensed an alcohol and other drug entity (AODE) treatment program. YesCare’s program will serve as an example that the state will follow elsewhere — potentially in the very near future in the state’s Department of Corrections.”
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a highly effective and cost-efficient method to treat addiction. It is the approach that is most supported by research, primarily used for addiction to narcotics such as heroin, fentanyl and opiate-based prescription pain medications, and also for alcohol addiction. MAT augments counseling and behavioral therapy with a drug that helps normalize the patient’s brain chemistry, blocks the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieves physiological cravings, and normalizes body functions, all without the negative effects of the abused drug.
Steve Tomlin, YesCare’s Chief Strategic Innovation Officer and Executive Vice President for MAT, Reentry and Community Partnership, said, “We applaud the state of Kentucky for prioritizing and expediting this important healthcare initiative, and we appreciate our partnership with LMDC. Being able to provide these life-saving medications to patients in the facility where they are being rehabilitated will save the state money; it will eliminate the logistical and security concerns associated with medication guest dosing; and it will allow healthcare workers at LMDC to respond more immediately to patient needs and concerns, further integrating physical health, behavioral health and MAT.”
The vast majority (85%) of the prison population in the U.S. have drug-related convictions and/or have an active substance use disorder (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). Being able to provide holistic treatment that addresses the root causes of addiction while alleviating the physical symptoms associated with withdrawal sets patients up for better long-term outcomes and reduces the instances of relapse, overdose deaths, and recidivism.
YesCare prioritizes mental health care throughout the facilities it serves, with a team of multiple licensed psychologists and clinical social workers among its Behavioral Health leadership and proactive mental health programming across its facilities.
For more information on YesCare, please visit: https://www.yescarecorp.com/
About YesCare
YesCare is an industry leader providing comprehensive healthcare and reentry services to incarcerated individuals. For more than 40 years, the YesCare team has provided expert medical, dental, and behavioral health services to more than 1 million patients at 475 correctional facilities across the country. Its mission is to provide exceptional care, put patients’ health and safety first, and break the cycle of recidivism, while helping improve the communities where they live and work.
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