DOC, WellPath describe rising acuity, medication continuity and reentry gaps for incarcerated people

Department of Corrections and contractor WellPath officials told the Corrections & Institutions Committee on May 15 that the population of people in custody has grown sicker over the past two decades and that the agency is working to provide 24/7 mental health and substance-use care while gaps remain in medication continuity and community step-down housing.

"We provide mental health and substance abuse services, urgent and emergent on call and on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year," said Dr. Richards, regional director of psychiatry at WellPath, outlining how the contractor staffs corrections facilities and treats co-occurring disorders. Dr. Richards said most clinical staff are qualified mental health professionals (QMHPs) designated to perform evaluations and to initiate paperwork for possible transfer to higher levels of care.

The discussion centered on three linked issues: the clinical complexity of the incarcerated population, continuity of medications at release (including medications for opioid use disorder), and the lack of community step-down housing that would keep people stable after discharge. Committee members and DOC staff described high rates of polypharmacy and multiple, overlapping diagnoses among people in custody, and explained how…