Page 11 - 2018 NJDOC Annual Report

• • Key Initiatives • • Department of Corrections • • 2018 Year in Review The Peer Navigator Program helps offenders who require substance use disorder services with with valuable support on their recovery journey and and the the sometimes overwhelming discharge planning and and and reentry process Peer navigators can begin meeting with with an an an an an an an inmate inmate six months prior to to to to to release release and and and continue to to to to to provide assistance up to to to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a year after
the the the release release date Peer navigators all of whom must be in in in in in in recovery and/or a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a former inmate inmate are are trained to to to to to provide their their clients with services available in in in in the the the the the the community Due to to to to to similar backgrounds they they are are able able to to to to to to relate to to to to to to their their clientele and they they often serve as as as as an an an offender’s primary system of of of of support Positions exist for as as as as many as as as as 30 peer navigators to to to to to assist up up to to to 600 offenders – 200 who who who receive MAT MAT and another 400 who who who are not not on on MAT MAT but who who who require substance use disorder services Ten county jails across the the state received NJDOC grants to obtain MAT MAT medications as as well as as staff and and and training on on on on the the the development and and and execution of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a MAT MAT program program In tandem with the the Department of of Health additional programs designed to to enable county jail inmates to to obtain treatment and and after-care services services was implemented Approximately 400 state- sentenced inmates inmates and and 200 county jail inmates inmates have received MAT services services 10