Association Between Assistance with Medicaid Enrollment and Use of Health Care After Incarceration Among Adults with a History of Substance Use

Researchers sought to determine if prison-based Medicaid enrollment assistance related to the increased use of health care within 30 days of prison release among adults with a history of substance use. The study included a sample of 16,307 adults between the ages of 19-64 years old and a history of substance use who were released from a Wisconsin state prison between April 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2016. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections implemented pre-release Medicaid enrollment assistance in January 2015. This statistical analysis was performed between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2021.

Researchers discovered that the likelihood of outpatient care use within 30 days of release increased after implementation of enrollment assistance relative to baseline by 7.7 percentage points for any visit, by 0.7 percentage points for an opioid use disorder visit, by 1.0 percentage point for any substance use disorder visit, and by 0.4 percentage points for receipt of medication for opioid use disorder. They found no significant change in emergency department use. The results of this study suggest that prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance was associated with increased use of outpatient health care after incarceration and highlights the value of making this assistance universally available within correctional settings.

Indiana Youth Institute Professional Development Grants

Indiana Youth Institute’s (IYI) Professional Development Grants program offers financial assistance for youth workers to access continuing education that they might not otherwise be able to attend. These funds are available to help promote the healthy development of children and youth by providing access to training and course work that IYI does not or cannot offer. IYI’s Professional Development Grants may be used for conferences, trainings, workshops or tuition reimbursement. Opportunities must be related to the applicant’s position and agency’s mission. The grant is intended to improve the applicant’s ability to do their job and the agency’s ability to serve and support children and youth.  Funding up to $750 is available and each organization can receive up to two awards per IYI fiscal year (July-June). There are two upcoming application windows, Jan. 3- Jan. 31 and April 1- April 30. The notice of award will be given by the 15^th of the following month. For more information on the application process or to submit an application, please visit the IYI Grants webpage.

Indiana Drug Overdose Dashboard

Please visit the Indiana Drug Overdose Dashboard, where you will find data from 2017 up to provisional data for 2021. In this dashboard, you will find data regarding opioid prescriptions, hospital discharges, and drug-related deaths.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Building Your Coalition Through Effective Leadership

10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. CST, Thursday, Jan. 20

This webinar will review the best practices in effective coalitions and your role as leaders to implement those practices. Learning objectives include describing the key characteristics of effective coalition leaders, defining the difference between leading and managing, identifying ways to support coalition members, and describing ways to grow leadership skills.

To register for this event, please click here.

Online Registries for Evidence-Based Substance Misuse Prevention: How to Conduct a Successful Search

Noon CST, Thursday, Jan. 20

This webinar will address how to conduct successful searches for substance misuse prevention interventions that meet the needs of the community. Several online registries will be explored during the webinar, along with information on how to ensure the selection of prevention intervention will meet the community’s needs. Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to identify the steps in selecting the appropriate prevention intervention, access at least five online registries of prevention interventions, and use this guise as a tool in strategic planning processes.

To register for this event, please click here.

Adult Mental Health First Aid

9 a.m. – 4 p.m., EST Thursday, Feb. 10

Adult Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based course that teaches participants how to help individuals that are developing a mental health issue or are experiencing a mental health crisis. This course will discuss the signs and symptoms for a variety of mental health disorders and look at understanding the impact of mental health and substance use stigma. This course requires advanced registration by Jan. 27, completion of a two-hour online self-paced learning at least 48 hours prior to the event, and a $20 participation fee.

To register for this event, please click here.