St. John's Community Health's W-RISE program will integrate, enhance, and expand screening, assessment, evidence-based treatment, harm reduction and recovery support services for low-income cisgender and transgender women of color with substance use and/or co-occurring mental health disorders (SUD/COD) who are reentering their communities post-incarceration in South Los Angeles.
Most clients (70%) are aged 25-44; 90% are people of color (49% Latina, 41% African American); 30% are unhoused; 30% are immigrants best served in Spanish; 100% are low-income (under 200% of federal poverty level). Ninety percent are ciswomen and 10% are trans; 70% are heterosexual, 20% bisexual, and 10% lesbian. Low-income reentry women of color in South LA experience SUD.COD at disproportionately high rates compared to the general population, with extremely high prevalence of post-traumatic stress as a result of a complex web of social determinants of health factors as well as experiences of institutional racism, heavy policing and transphobia.
W-RISE will provide opportunities to interrupt SUD/COD and support clients to improve their health, functioning and stability through team-based, peer-driven, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based treatment, recovery support and related reentry services. A total of 350 unduplicated reentry women will be served (70 annually). Objectives include: convening a coalition of reentry serving community-based organizations in South LA (SLARRP/South LA Reentry Recovery Partnership) to address gaps, coordinate referrals and provide cross-training; providing screening, assessment and brief treatment for women pre-release and linking positive screens immediately into care coordination services where clients will work with a provider on an individual service plan that will include SUD/COD treatment (including MAT), intensive team-based case management and recovery support services; ensuring high rates of retention in Seeking Safety EBP and adherence to clinical treatment and progress on case management goals; and increasing functioning, self-efficacy, social connection/inclusion, and a sense of hope for participants.