Washington State Jail-based Opioid Treatment Networks: Disparities in Initiation of MOUD Treatment

Oct 2024 |
13.05
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Online Library

Since September 2018, the Washington State Healthcare Authority (HCA) has received State Opioid Response (SOR) grants to improve access to FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and reduce overdose deaths. This evaluation focuses on SOR-funded MOUD programs in five Washington State jails, known as Opioid Treatment Networks (OTNs), which start MOUD treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) before their release. The report examines factors such as race, prior behavioral health diagnoses and treatments, healthcare and social service use, and criminal legal factors affecting MOUD initiation among those booked into and released from jail-based OTNs between January 2019 and September 2022. In this evaluation, we observed racial disparities in MOUD initiation across the five OTNs, as well as differences in the implementation of MOUD treatment programs at each OTN site. Future efforts in correctional settings should proactively address these disparities.

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