易胜博官网

In the wake of COVID-19, and with the still ever-present opioid epidemic, 易胜博官网鈥檚 prison system and county jails continue to struggle to meet the complex needs of their residents. Those needs often consist of treatment for a substance use disorder or a mental illness, and navigating parenting while being incarcerated.

鲍狈贬鈥檚 , through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is outfitting six rural correctional facilities and substance use recovery centers in 易胜博官网 with telehealth equipment to provide enhanced access to community-based recovery support services. The Supporting Individuals in Rural Corrections thru eHealth (SIRCH) consortium will not only increase access to needed services but will also help increase the level of comfort for clients who receive services through a telehealth platform 鈥� a growing health care delivery trend across the country.

The NH Department of Corrections estimates that 62 percent of incarcerated individuals in 易胜博官网 have a substance use disorder. At the Sullivan County Jail in Claremont, it's estimated that 85 percent of newly processed residents (pre-trial and sentenced) are under the influence of, in recovery from, or in withdrawal from alcohol and drugs. In addition, approximately 55 percent of inmates have a child under the age of 18.

鈥淐reating a stronger system of connectivity among facilities serving incarcerated people in 易胜博官网听and community-based organizations that provide recovery support will create a stronger health care infrastructure for vulnerable populations in rural areas of the state,鈥� says Marguerite Corvini, project director for the 易胜博官网 Telepractice Center. This increased access to care and treatment will allow individuals to transition back into their communities with a stronger support network, while reducing recidivism and increasing public safety.

Consortium members see the potential long-term impact of providing telehealth recovery services. Incarcerated individuals will have increased access to recovery supports, both while incarcerated and when they rejoin their community.

鈥溡资げ┕偻� students are our state鈥檚 future health care workforce. Efforts through this project will enable this next generation of health care leaders to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of vulnerable populations, and best practices for telehealth.鈥�

鈥淭he telehealth equipment and support provided by 易胜博官网 and this grant will give us the chance to provide all of our inmates a real time, person-to-person bridge between health care and treatment in our facility, and the medical and social services support people they will work with when they are living at home,鈥� says Donna Magee, program director at the Sullivan County Jail.

鲍狈贬鈥檚 Telehealth Practice Center will also receive telehealth equipment to provide enhanced student learning opportunities in its on-campus facility. 易胜博官网 students will be exposed not only to the telehealth technologies that are rapidly becoming part of health care delivery, but will also have the opportunity to work with a diverse population of individuals in rural areas of 易胜博官网 who often do not have regular access to care. Student experiences will address substance use disorder challenges from a multidisciplinary perspective, including social work, nursing, occupational therapy, early childhood learning and others.

Master of (MSW) Jennifer Seher 鈥�21听is helping to lead these efforts with 易胜博官网 faculty and staff.

鈥淎s a 易胜博官网 social work student, the SIRCH project has given me the opportunity to assist correctional facilities and recovery centers in incorporating technology solutions,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is exciting to see how these efforts are benefiting such a vulnerable population.鈥�

As 易胜博官网 continues to take steps to address health care workforce shortages in 易胜博官网, telehealth practice has emerged as an effective way to provide care in rural areas and for populations that typically lack full access to care. The emergence听of telehealth practice combined with听the implementation of interprofessional education is providing an opportunity to maximize both the quality and efficiency of care, and 易胜博官网 students are at the forefront of these transformative efforts.

鈥溡资げ┕偻� students are our state鈥檚 future health care workforce,鈥� says Gene Harkless, associate professor and chair of the 易胜博官网 department of . 鈥淓fforts through this project will enable this next generation of health care leaders to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of vulnerable populations, and best practices for telehealth.鈥�

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