Ward County jail MOUD program reported 60 new treatments and recognition in first year
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Summary
The council heard a first-year report on the Ward County MOUD jail program: 320 people screened, 60 initiated on medication-assisted treatment while incarcerated, 436 continued care, and the program administered roughly 6,551 doses across 241 jail stays; the presenter credited multi-agency cooperation and opioid settlement funding.
Minot City Council received a first-year report on the Ward County medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program during the Feb. 2 meeting.
Ashley Klaus, who runs the MOUD program at the jail, told the council the program screened 320 individuals for substance use disorder during the reporting period at the Ward County Detention Center and initiated 60 people on medication-assisted treatment while incarcerated. An additional 436 people continued established medication-assisted treatment. Klaus said the program administered an estimated 6,551 doses to 148 unique individuals across 241 jail stays during the year.
Klaus described the program's development by the Ward County Opioid Task Force and its use of opioid settlement funds from Ward County and the City of Minot, state opioid settlement grants and substance use disorder (SUD) vouchers to support care continuity. She said the program coordinates with Community Medical Services, Ideal Options, North Central Human Service, MARCO and area law enforcement and uses an opioid and naloxone education screening tool developed at North Dakota State University.
"This is our first year running this program, so everything is a learning experience," Klaus said. She and Major Oltoff were cited for recognition: Major Oltoff received a DOCR Trailblazer Award for innovation in correctional-based MOUD services, and the program was featured in a docuseries highlighting corrections-based treatment.
Klaus also reported local overdose call figures cited in the presentation: the City of Minot had 74 reported overdose calls in 2024 and 33 in 2025, with five deaths reported in 2025; she described the decline as linked to coordinated resources in the area. Funding for ongoing treatment post-release includes North Dakota Medicaid and Blue Cross North Dakota Medicaid coverage for many individuals, SUD vouchers and opioid-settlement funds.
Council thanked Klaus for the report; no council action was taken beyond receiving the presentation.