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Commission approves opioid-settlement funds for SUBLOCADE injections at county jail pilot
Summary
The commission approved about $10,082.60 from opioid settlement funds to buy five SUBLOCADE injections to support a pilot medication-assisted-treatment (MAT) effort at the county jail; staff said the jail will provide one injection in-custody before release and connect recipients to follow-up community care.
The Stark County Commission on April 1 approved a one-time purchase of five SUBLOCADE injections for a pilot MAT (medication-assisted treatment) program administered through the county jail’s Community Treatment Program.
Allison Wanner, clinical director for the Community Treatment Program, told commissioners the injection (monthly buprenorphine formulation) reduces opioid craving and helps prevent relapse. She described a model already used under contract with the Department of Corrections (DOC) for DOC inmates and asked the county to fund initial doses for county inmates until a state SUD (substance-use-disorder) voucher program can cover them.
Wanner said the county would provide the in-jail dose roughly one month prior to release, then arrange follow-up care through Coal Country Health and manufacturer assistance (the manufacturer provides two free doses post-release once the person is engaged in follow-up care). Wanner and jail staff also said they will enroll eligible people in Medicaid or other insurance during the discharge-planning period. Cost estimates presented to the commission ranged from about $2,016 to $2,800 per dose depending on supplier and dose strength; the package approved covers five doses at approximately $10,082.60.
Commissioners asked about eligibility, oversight and whether receiving treatment would affect sentencing or probation outcomes; Wanner said participation would be voluntary and conditional on engagement in recommended treatment, and that the injection is not treated as a sentence-reduction incentive. The motion passed on a roll-call vote; staff will instruct the jail to begin purchase and document inventory and patient follow-up, and report pilot outcomes to the commission as requested.
