Expansion and enhancement of MAT - The Pierce County Superior Court (PCDC) proposes an expansion and enhancement of services to address a growing population of offenders with an opioid use disorder that are deemed appropriate for medication assisted treatment (MAT). In addition to therapies for both substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders, the program will provide additional staffing and resources needed to establish a specialized treatment track that incorporates patient coordination, administration, medications and qualified medical assistance to comprehensively address the challenges of opioid dependence. The program will use cognitive behavioral therapy, that is fully integrated with the judicial process, incorporating a number of evidence-based enhancements to include motivational interviewing techniques, dialectical behavior therapy, moral recognition therapy and the "Living in Balance" program. The PCDC has implemented the risk and needs triage, an improved means to tailor treatment based on the individual's level of risk and level of need for treatment. The measureable objectives of the program are to: 1) expand an existing caseload of 100 drug court participants to serve 172 individuals, to include 72 opioid-dependent individuals with chemical dependency treatment and patient coordination services through a special, MAT track; 2) sustain a 60% successful graduation rate for the MAT participants; and 3) successfully reintegrate MAT graduates into the community as demonstrated by a criminal recidivism rate of less than 40% after one year, post-graduation. The attainment of these program objectives will be measured primarily through the GPRA system, to include analysis of intakes and discharges and the data related to employment and education, community connectedness, and risky behaviors.
