Peer Support and Community Reentry for Prisoners with Opioid Use Disorders
Dr. Derek Kreager

January 6, 2021, 1-2 PM EST

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This webinar overviews a treatment intervention targeting PA prisoners with opioid use disorder (OUD)  to promote their recovery and reduce heightened relapse in the high-risk period immediately following community reentry. Core to the intervention is connecting eligible participants, while they remain incarcerated, to community-based Certified Recovery Specialists (CRSs) who will assist in the transition from prison to community. Specifically, the CRSs will (1) connect clients to community treatment resources (i.e., continuity of care), (2) provide informal coaching and personal support, (3) understand and assist clients’ families, to include the provision of naloxone, and (4) monitor the recovery progress and encourage treatment retention. This case-management system will operate in parallel to parole staff to increase client trust, communication, and treatment compliance. The goals of the project are to create inter-organizational linkages between correctional administrators and community non-profit providers to implement and evaluate a scalable intervention for a high-risk population. COVID-19 and related obstacles to treatment make this study even more timely. Results of the pilot should establish proof-of-concept and inform a larger proposal for a randomized controlled trial across multiple sites.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand the risks facing incarcerated individuals with OUD as they reenter communities
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of Certified Recovery Specialists
• Discuss the challenges facing inter-organizational interventions targeting vulnerable populations
• Share preliminary results and project activities from the pilot project

PRESENTER

Dr. Derek Kreager, is a Professor of Criminology and Director of the Criminal Justice Research Center at Pennsylvania State University. He received his M.A. and PhD in Sociology from the University of Washington and his B.S. in Psychology from the United States Military Academy. His research focuses on social networks and health, particularly among incarcerated and reentering populations. His research of prisons and reentry has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute of Justice. In his role as CJRC Director, he helps bridge research and practice, to include fostering university partnerships with local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies.