Program Will Focus On Soon To Be Released County Jail Inmates
In an effort to combat the opioid dependency epidemic within our communities, County Executive Kathy Jimino and Sheriff Pat Russo are pleased to announce a new collaboration between the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, Rensselaer County Mental Health, Hudson-Mohawk Recovery Center and Alkermes Inc. that has established an Addiction Treatment Readiness Group and Vivitrol (Naltrexone) treatment option.[private]
“This program seeks to help break the cycle of addiction that is ruining the lives of so many in our communities. I want to commend Sheriff Russo and all of our partners who have helped establish this program that provides those in our jail seeking help with addiction the continuum of care necessary for them to successfully break free of their addiction and hopefully get their life on track,” said Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen M. Jimino.
Beginning January 14, interested sentenced inmates can enroll in this anti-dependency program that includes education on treatment paths, counseling, and access to Vivitrol, a time released prescription non-addictive injectable medication taken once a month used for treatment of alcohol dependence and opioid dependence relapse. Vivitrol is non-addictive medication taken after one detoxes and blocks the body’s ability to feel the “high” associated with alcohol or opiate use. Program participants will receive their initial dose of the medication several days prior to release from the County Correctional Facility. Additionally, the participating inmates will receive a comprehensive discharge plan focused on their continued sobriety and substance abuse recovery including counseling with the Hudson-Mohawk Recovery Center. During the initial year of the pilot program the Vivitrol injection administered at the correctional facility will be donated by the manufacturer, Alkermes Inc. Inmates who have had opiate addiction prior to incarceration, and have detoxed in the correctional facility, are at high risk of overdose and death upon release should they resume Opiate/Heroin use. The use of Vivitrol would guard against this risk.
“Drug addiction many times leads to further criminal activity as addicts are forced to continually feed their need for more and more drugs. If we can help prevent our soon to be released inmates from relapsing into addiction we can hopefully prevent them from committing crimes to feed that addiction,” said Rensselaer County Sheriff Pat Russo.[/private]