The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction recently announced the launch of a pilot program designed to engage incarcerated individuals with mental health and substance use disorders with certified peer professionals and wraparound services.
The Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support program will provide peer-driven, sequential intercept model support for inmates with mental health and substance use disorders upon arrival at one of the five county jail pilot sites. The counties are Blackford, Daviess, Dearborn, Delaware and Scott.
SIM provides a comprehensive picture of how individuals with mental health and substance use disorders encounter and move through the criminal justice system, aiming to divert them away from the justice system into treatment.
“The first three steps an individual takes upon exiting the justice system are often the most important steps they will take in their recovery journey,” said Douglas Huntsinger, executive director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement for the state. “Regardless of how an individual ended up in the justice system, how they move forward matters. By providing access to peers and wraparound services while individuals are incarcerated, we intend to reduce recidivism and future involvement in the justice system.”
The program is a collaboration between the state Department of Mental Health, Indiana Forensic Services and Indiana Recovery Network, programs of Mental Health America of Indiana. Inmates booked at each of the jails will be evaluated as potential program support clients, resulting in treatment and formal support for identified clients.
Forensic peer teams are stationed at each jail and consist of a certified program supervisor, certified peer support, resource peer navigator, reentry peer and peer engagement coordinator, all employed by the Indiana Recovery Network’s regional recovery hubs.
These teams work within the jail settings and collaborate with correctional, pretrial and nursing staff and all community providers to support incarcerated individuals during their time in the program. Jail staff will receive special training to support IRACS personnel and incarcerated clients.
Using the program’s Recovery Engagement Pathways, peers will walk alongside each identified client and provide responsive support and resources relevant to their needs. These pathways are reentry-focused and can change as their legal process develops and sentencing is established.
“The engagement pathways allow forensic peer teams to meet individuals as soon as they enter through the door of the jail and provide one-on-one support at a critical moment when meeting someone, where they’re at, can make all the difference,” said Jayme Whitaker, vice president of forensic services for Mental Health America of Indiana.
“With the vision and funding provided by state leadership and the strong local collaborations in all five pilot counties, the IRACS forensic peer teams are meeting people at some of their hardest moments and ensuring they have someone to walk alongside them, every step of the way,” she said.
The program is funded through June 2023 by Recovery Works, Indiana’s voucher-based system to support partnerships between the justice system and mental health and addiction treatment providers.
Each pilot site has received a grant of up to $500,000 to build their teams and the infrastructure necessary to support a full-spectrum reentry process that collaborates with community partners outside the jail to ensure continuity in care upon release.
At the conclusion of the pilot program, data gathered will be reported by the participating sheriffs to FSSA for evaluation. If proven successful, the state is committed to expanding the program to more county jails within the next three years.