With accidental overdose deaths on the rise across the nation, state and federal agencies are partnering with public and private organizations to develop innovate strategies for tackling the problem.
The Crime and Justice Institute is part of a team of technical assistance providers supporting the work of grantees receiving funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)-funded Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP). COAP supports state, local and tribal jurisdictions to develop and implement efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by the opioid epidemic.
As part of COAP technical assistance, CJI organized and facilitated a webinar on January 24 to highlight one cutting edge approach to administering medication assisted treatment (MAT) through the use of mobile treatment units.
In 2017, BestSelf Behavioral Health, located in Western New York, developed a mobile MAT program to complement the variety of services they provide to individuals with substance abuse disorders. The program combines on-site and telemedicine options for individuals to connect with medical professionals who can prescribe medication and make referrals to counseling services.
By making their services more accessible, mobile MAT makes it easier for more individuals with addiction to access medication-assisted treatment, including at critical moments when they’re most in need and seeking help.
The webinar featured presentations from leaders of BestSelf’s substance use disorder programs and covered topics including how mobile MAT treatment differs from a brick and mortar facility, what services the program provides, how to protect patient confidentiality in a mobile program, and how BestSelf overcame obstacles it faced in implementation of the program.