20210728-93526-56

Priority Area 1: Establish a Quality Improvement Unit within the Wyoming Department of Corrections.
Background: Wyoming’s Justice Reinvestment legislation, HEA 0062, requires a QI Unit to be created within the Department of Corrections to monitor the administration and use of substance use disorder assessments. This legislation supports hiring and training staff for the QI Unit, the development of policies and procedures specifically related to the assessment process, and training for personnel in both the WDOC and WDH who will be working within the newly developed QI policies.

Update: In March, CSG Justice Center staff continued to work with the quality assurance (QA) manager within the Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC). The strategic plan for the work of the QA manager continued to evolve as both WDOC and the Department of Health (WDH) work with contracted providers on establishing an in-reach process for people who are being released from a correctional facility with a referral for continued treatment in the community. The QA manager is also working to establish a process with WDH to provide feedback to WDH contracted providers in the community.

Priority Area 2: Develop standardized, evidence-based treatment guidelines and practices for substance use treatment and programming for people in the criminal justice system.
Background: During the earlier part of Phase II, CSG Justice Center staff completed an assessment of community providers’ treatment practices throughout the state. The assessment found that there were inconsistent practices statewide that could contribute to varying outcomes and costs for clients. To improve consistency, HEA 0062 requires a set of standards to be developed for programs delivering substance use disorder and behavioral health services.

Update: The biweekly meetings with the WDOC, WDH, Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (WAMHSAC), and CSG Justice Center staff continue. Throughout March, ACJI facilitated the structured decision-making tool training, which establishes standard practices using evidence-based assessments for treatment placement in both correctional treatment programs and community-based programs. Additionally, the WDOC IT and research department have worked to automate the structured decision-making tool to ensure easier access by providers and efficient data analysis by the state. Finally, WDOC and WDH have formed a working relationship with a small number of community providers to pilot the tool and provide feedback.
Priority Area 3: Expand the sharing and acceptance of substance use disorder, mental health, and co-occurring assessment results between providers and WDOC.
Background: The assessment process completed by CSG Justice Center staff in the initial part of Phase II found that there was a hesitancy, or outright refusal, among some community providers to accept substance use assessments completed by other entities. The new behavioral health legislation, HEA 0062, addresses this with the requirement to improve the portability and acceptance of assessments across the state.

Update: In March, DOC and WDH continued to work with providers to identify what is needed to complete the in-reach process that will make the transition from correctional institution to community provider as efficient as possible without duplicative efforts. This will result in a substantial increase in the information sharing that is currently taking place.

Priority Area 4: Create a separate contract or separate provisions in the existing contract between WDH and the regional behavioral health providers to ensure consistency and improve outcomes for people in the criminal justice system.
Background: Current contract standards with community providers are compliance based. With the requirements of HEA 0062, there will need to be adjustments to the contracting procedure to allow for greater monitoring and oversight by the QI Unit and to ensure consistency among practices within community providers.

Update: Wyoming remains in a holding pattern while the legislature reviews the current state of the budget and what the upcoming fiscal year may require as the state continues to respond to reductions in revenue. While contracts cannot currently be renegotiated with WDOC or WDH, discussions have begun about how contracts with behavioral health providers can be revised to include participant outcomes and use of evidence-based standards. In March, an additional $450 million was cut from the budget delaying any contract discussions.
Priority Area 5: Develop data tracking measures.
Background: As part of Justice Reinvestment implementation, states are required to identify and submit regular data tracking metrics to the CSG Justice Center to capture the progress of both the original 4 pieces of legislation, HEA 53, SEA 19, SEA 20, and HB 45, as well as the newest piece of legislation, HEA 0062.

Update: CSG Justice Center staff will analyze data submitted and continue to work with WDOC researchers to coordinate data collection and monitoring.

Priority Area 6: Continue to assist the state with monitoring progress, collecting data, tracking outcomes, and addressing challenges with implementation of the priorities associated with HEA 53, SEA 19, SEA 20, and HEA 45.
Background: From March 2019 to March 2020, CSG Justice Center staff completed several implementation projects associated with Wyoming’s first four Justice Reinvestment bills (enacted in February 2019). These included the implementation of the PRISM incentives and sanction system, the use of 90-day sanctions, the use of substance use treatment and cognitive behavioral programming in jails and prisons, the use of early discharge from supervision and capping the length of supervision, and the impact of the expansion of victim compensation periods. Active technical assistance on these projects has wound down, but CSG Justice Center staff continue to monitor their progress and outcomes.

Update: CSG Justice Center staff continue to monitor monthly data submissions to track the progress being made under the initial Justice Reinvestment legislation. Key metrics are reported to the CSG Justice Center with a significant lag time (approximately five months). In March, CSG Justice Center staff worked with the state to attempt to reduce the turnaround time in processing data for future data monitoring.

Priority Area 7: Engage and educate Wyoming stakeholders on Justice Reinvestment legislation to promote oversight and sustainability.
Background: The Joint Judiciary Committee approved legislation to monitor the implementation of Justice Reinvestment legislation for the first part of Phase II (HEA 53, SEA 19, SEA 20, and HB 45). Additionally, the Joint Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee will receive annual updates on the newly passed behavioral health legislation through 2023.

Update: In March, CSG Justice Center staff continued discussions with the state on wrap activities that could be completed as technical assistance for JR work comes to end. This included offering retrospective and data analysis discussions with the WDOC and WDH planned to take place April 29, 2021. Additionally, the Joint Judiciary Committee has expressed interest in receiving a similar report but has yet to set a date.
On March 5, 2021, CSG Justice Center staff delivered a presentation to the House Judiciary Committee on an overview of JR in Wyoming to help new legislators to the committee learn about the work that has been done over the last three years.
New Insights: Wyoming has made additional budget cuts to state agencies. In total, the state has cut nearly $1.5 billion from the state budget. These reductions will impact the Wyoming Department of Health in particular, potentially impacting the work being done to address Justice Reinvestment legislation HEA 62. The WDOC and WDH are working to mitigate these cuts.

In March, the WDOC Director named a new Deputy Director.