Washington State Jail-based Opioid Treatment Networks: Descriptive Findings from 2019 to 2022

Since September 2018, the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) has received State Opioid Response (SOR) grants to improve access to FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and reduce overdose deaths. This evaluation focuses on five Washington State jails that receive SOR funding to implement Opioid Treatment Networks (OTNs). These programs begin MOUD treatment for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) before they are released from jail. The analysis looks at people's characteristics before they entered jail and compares people served by OTN and non-OTN jails. Evaluators found that many people entering the jails included in this study had both OUD and stimulant use disorder; having both diagnoses was more common than having either alone. People using opioids and stimulants may benefit from treatment approaches that address both conditions, but relatively little is known about how best to provide this care. It is also unclear whether people in jails with both conditions receive treatment. These findings point to opportunities for jails to better identify people who use both opioids and stimulants, offer them appropriate treatment, and connect them with treatment and other supports after they leave jail.