Addiction Treatment Advisory Board urges focus on jail detox, continuity of care and buprenorphine access

The Bernalillo County Addiction Treatment Advisory Board (ATAB) presented its annual report on Aug. 4 and urged the commission to continue work on adolescent detox services, medication access and continuity of care for people released from detention. Dr. Cern and Dr. McCrady, outgoing co-chairs who introduced the board’s new leadership, told commissioners ATAB’s accomplishments over the past year included support for adolescent detox services that produced new capacity at Serenity Mesa and Presbyterian Hospital, input to opioid settlement planning, and development of harm-reduction and standards-of-care recommendations. The board also wrote to the governor and attorney general to raise concerns about inadequate buprenorphine supplies at some pharmacies and urged action to secure medication for people in treatment. Dr. McCrady and others said ATAB remains concerned about deaths at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), continuity of care as inmates leave MDC and the specific risks during the detoxification process. The board recommended developing policy language on harm reduction, improving standards of care for substance use disorder, increasing services for pregnant and postpartum people with substance use disorders, and expanding community-based services for people who are unhoused or precariously housed. Commissioners thanked ATAB members for the work and new leadership; several commissioners asked staff to connect ATAB to county departments and local partners working on housing and behavioral health to align resources. ATAB asked for help recruiting new board members and signaled it will continue preparing policy recommendations for the commission’s consideration.