medication-assisted treatment

Some veterans struggle with substance use and mental health disorders as well as harm to self and/or others. Many of these men and women are within the justice system in jails and prisons. Understanding their complex and unique issues is essential for both justice treatment and security staff. Having a working knowledge of the military culture, a trauma-informed and military-informed approach to services increase the likelihood of engagement in treatment. Units that serve only veterans within correctional facilities use peers as agents of change.

As criminal justice agencies grapple with the impacts of the opioid epidemic, an increasing number of correctional facilities are using medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in order to initiate or maintain treatment among individuals experiencing opioid use disorders. Despite the potential for MAT to reduce recidivism and overdose fatalities, many jails and prisons are reluctant to allow individuals to be on MAT medications due to diversion concerns.