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BELLEFONTE -- The Centre County Office of Criminal Justice Planning requested, and received, approval from county commissioners for two grant-related motions supporting funding for medication-assisted drug treatment for inmates at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
The Pa. Department of Corrections' Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program, described as, "a modern, innovative and successful way to treat substance use disorder" on the Department's website, is an evidence-based, long-term care strategy focusing on medication management and continued monitoring to treat incarcerated individuals with substance use disorder.
At the meeting, Director of the Office of Criminal Justice Planning, Karri Hull, requested both a grant modification extending the federal State Opioid Response grant that is currently helping fund the program and approval of a grant submission to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for state Act 80 funds to support the expansion of the program.
"MAT is a wonderful program, but the medications are highly expensive, so this funding is extremely helpful to get folks started on their MAT protocol while they're incarcerated," said Hull, underscoring the necessity of grant funding to support the Centre County Correctional Facility's program.
The federal State Opioid Response (SOR) grant totaled $500,000. A portion of which remains to be spent.
The modification requests an extension of access to SOR grant funding for the program, which began receiving financial support on April 1, 2023 and is set to expire September 29. If also approved by the PCCD, the extension will allow the remaining funding to be available until June 30, 2025, an additional nine months. The PCCD is requesting its own extension through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, once that is approved, they are primed to approve the county's request.
"I'll be adjusting a few of the existing budget line items to align with the current spending since we didn't anticipate having the funding until 2025," said Hull who was confident that the extension and new grant application were all but guaranteed.
The grant application to PCCD requesting state Act 80 funds to support the expansion of medication-assisted treatment at the Centre County Correctional Facility was also approved by the County Commissioners.
"This is a non-competitive solicitation to which every county is given an allocation should they choose to apply," she said.
According to Hull, Centre County is allotted $93,844 of funds made available from the 2015 Nonnarcotic Medication Assisted Substance Abuse Treatment Grant Pilot Program. The grant period is from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026.
The money however is only eligible for the purchase of Vivitrol (Naltrexone), a drug which blocks the euphoric and sedative effects of opioids like heroin and morphine by binding to and blocking opioid receptors with the ultimate goal of suppressing opioid cravings. Other drugs like suboxone or methadone, which are also used in medicated assisted treatment programs, cannot be acquired with these funds.
"There's current legislation that is pending that would allow us to add additional medication assisted treatment medications, so we're waiting to see how that fares out," said Hull.
Drugs like Vivitrol are one component of a comprehensive, "whole-person" treatment program that also engages counseling and other behavioral health therapies to treat addiction.
Keeping with the theme of support for the Office of Criminal Justice Planning's initiatives, Commissioners renewed a contract for Centre County Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator Tracy A. Small.
The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is a partnership between law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), emergency communications, correctional facilities, probation, mental health agencies, individuals with personal experience and advocates. Together, they offer crisis intervention and de-escalation responses for situations involving individuals in mental health crises.
The contract retaining Small, who has been with the program since 2011, is for $34,716.73. The position is partially funded by municipal police departments who contribute $20,384 to her salary.
The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trains and has graduated 464 first responders since its inception.
The current class of first responders will conclude the 25th session of the specialized 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training program on Friday, June 28. Graduation will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday at the Ferguson Township Municipal Building.
"I've heard such rave reviews about the training that goes on with the CIT program, and how it really equips first responders and law enforcement to have the skills to when they're walking into a situation that may be very volatile to de-escalate," said Commissioner Amber Concepcion. "That training is really important for local safety and for protecting lives."
Attending this week's graduation ceremony will be the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, who will be providing remarks to highlight the work of the Centre County CIT program and how this particular CIT program has served as a model program for the state of Pennsylvania.
To learn more about CIT, visit www.centrecountypa.gov/725/Centre-County-Crisis-InterventionTeam-C.
In other business, commissioners:
-- Adopted a resolution to enter an 18-month bridge bower service agreement with Direct Energy Business, LLC until the Solar Power Purchase Agreement is operational.
-- Added contracts with Nittany Building Specialties, Inc. to install an ADA accessible entrance to the Willowbank Building; MGM Mechanical, Inc. to replace three HVAC units at the MDJ Philipsburg Office; and Happy Valley Monuments for crane service to set the columbarium for unclaimed remains in the county to next week's consent agenda.
-- Amended and renewed several routine contracts providing human services in the county.
-- Reviewed the Community Development Block Grant 2024 Project Review.
-- Approved letters of support for Centre for Alternatives in Community Justice and for the IRONMAN Pennsylvania Happy Valley grant application through the DCED.
-- Approved a letter requesting PennDOT District 2-0 to advertise for a new 6-year agreement to provide local bridge inspection services.