Dunn County jail’s Therapeutic Community expands peer‑led treatment and mentoring

Shelly Jo Metzger, the jail’s substance-use counselor, described the Dunn County Therapeutic Community (TC) and its operations at the Aug. 21 Criminal Justice Collaborating Council meeting. "This is my story of recovery that I wish I could have had," Metzger said, explaining why the program is important to her.

Metzger said the TC is a stand-alone block or pod in the jail devoted to people in recovery. The pod is currently configured as a 12-bed, male-only unit with six bunks; since starting in February, Metzger said occupancy has varied: "I have had consistent beds being filled to 6. I've gone down to 4. I've gone up to 7, and by next week, we'll be at 8." Enrollment is voluntary and participants must meet program criteria, including administrative approval and a screening for risk level. Metzger said participants write a one-page statement explaining why they want to join and what they will contribute to the community.

She described programming expectations: participants are expected to be awake and productive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., attend classes from a menu of more than 60 offered by the program director (about 10–12 rotated monthly), and meet with Metzger and a volunteer mentor weekly. Metzger said the mentors are supplied by Roundtable Revival and are unpaid volunteers selected to match participants' interests through a six‑page intake form administered by the mentoring program. "That mentor can ... take them from here to Saint Cloud to get to treatment," she said, describing case‑management handoffs.

Metzger also said medication-assisted treatment (MAT) continues in the jail, supported by the NNAI grant that pays for Vivitrol injections. She reported a policy change effective Aug. 1 allowing the Vivitrol program to be provided for alcohol use disorder in addition to opioid use disorder, which she called a significant expansion given the jail’s larger alcohol‑use caseload.

Program rules include random UA testing; Metzger said some participants have been removed for noncompliance or rule violations. She noted the TC provides different daily life and privileges — including distinct clothing color in court appearances — and that participants may remain in the pod whether they are pretrial or serving a sentence. Metzger said there is no fixed program graduation in the jail setting because lengths of stay vary; some participants have been continuously enrolled since February, while others stay only days.

Metzger presented participant testimonials and photos of in‑pod activities, and she credited corrections officers and community volunteers for supporting the program. At the meeting, staff also noted the RSAT (Residential Substance Abuse Treatment) grant that funds therapeutic-community programming will open next week; CJCC staff later asked the council to support grant applications in a separate motion.

Ending: Metzger and CJCC members described the TC as a voluntary, structured option in the jail that combines education, mentoring and MAT; staff will pursue RSAT funding and continue tracking outcomes and post-release connections.