Educational Activities Archives

This webinar will examine how the court system impacts individuals with substance use disorders, explore the role of social workers in navigating this intersection, and highlight best practices for promoting recovery and justice.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and incarceration are deeply intertwined, with many individuals entering the criminal justice system due to drug-related offenses or behaviors linked to addiction. This webinar explores the complex relationship between addiction and incarceration, examines systemic factors that perpetuate cycles of substance use and imprisonment, and considers the role of social workers in fostering change at both practice and policy levels.

The Guidelines address the implementation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in state prisons and practical information about medications, service delivery models, regulatory requirements, staff training, and cultural issues that may affect the uptake and integration of MOUD.

This session explores the clinical and policy landscape of providing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in jails, prisons, and reentry settings. Dr. Arthur Robin Williams and Dr. Peter Treitler review recent research on the effectiveness of MOUD in reducing overdose and improving post-release treatment engagement. The session highlights key differences among methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release naltrexone, including regulatory and logistical considerations unique to correctional environments. Learners will examine policy updates, case-based examples, and implementation strategies that support evidence-based treatment access. The session also addresses interdisciplinary collaboration, diversion concerns, and continuity of care across incarceration and reentry.

Our sixth and final webinar in the series will explore ethical, clinical, and practical issues when assessing and treating individuals in drug treatment courts, those referred by supervision officers, those incarcerated, and those otherwise involved in the justice system. Learn how to deliver person-centered care that respects client choice and is consistent with court mandates and expectations. Understand the role of the addiction professional when the Court and the Client have different goals.

Transitioning from jails and prisons back into the community can be especially difficult for people with opioid use disorders (OUD). Research suggests that opioid use overdose increases dramatically within the first 30 days of citizens returning to the community. Further, individuals recently released from incarceration face a risk of opioid overdose ten times greater than the general public. During these transitions it is critical that people receive seamless and appropriate resources in order to prevent overdose and return to use. This proper transition can help lower health care costs, hospitalizations and emergency department visits, as well as decrease mortality and recidivism for justice-involved individuals, yet at this time only 13 states have sought Medicaid waivers to provide SUD services pre-release. Join us today as we explore how programs can successfully develop services to ensure returning citizens receive appropriate care to address OUD.