State of Addiction: LMDC home to first jail-based opioid treatment center in Kentucky
The opioid crisis continues to grip communities in Louisville and across the country.
Louisville Metro Corrections is taking a step inside jail walls to curb addiction.
맥스카지노I think for us, this is the intersection of public health and public safety,맥스카지노 said Steve Tomlin with YesCare.
A little more than 2,100 inmates are housed inside the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections. For many, addiction is a root cause of incarceration. Now, those struggling with opioid use disorder have access to expanded treatment right inside the jail.
맥스카지노The community issues are our issues on steroids,맥스카지노 said jail director Jerry Collins.
The new medication-assisted treatment program is the first in Kentucky to be fully licensed to offer all Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for opioid use disorder under one roof.
Drugs like methadone and buprenorphine are paired with therapy and peer support.
맥스카지노A huge part of it is health care, mental health. It's not just putting folks in jail. It's about helping the community. Most folks in jail come back to our community,맥스카지노 said Collins.
The program has been operated by YesCare, LMDC맥스카지노s health care partner, since last March.
맥스카지노We started the program with 24 individuals. In the last nine months, we've run 912 folks through the program. Since Jan. 25, we맥스카지노ve run 380 맥스카지노 and we currently have 75 in the program,맥스카지노 said Collins.
Louisville once ranked fourth in the nation for overdose deaths among large cities, behind Baltimore, Philadelphia and Nashville. On Tuesday, it dropped to ninth.
Collins said this is a long-term investment in both recovery and public safety 맥스카지노 an effort to break the cycle of addiction and incarceration from the inside out.
맥스카지노Obviously, we've been the largest detox center in the region for a long time, and now we're able to transition into actually treating folks and putting them back in the community,맥스카지노 said Collins.