Oriana House Receives 1.1 Million Dollar Grant to Improve Treatment Accessibility for Adults in Reentry

The U.S. Department of Justice awarded a $1,125,000 grant to Oriana House, Inc., to create the COACH Program (Coaches Operating Alongside Clients for Healing) to provide substance use disorder treatment services to individuals charged with felony offenses in Summit County, Ohio.

The COACH program will implement services to felony pre-trial offenders starting when they are in the Summit County Jail or the Community Alternative Sentencing Center in Akron and then throughout the outcome of the pending charges.

Pre-release services will include substance use disorder screening, treatment referrals, and engagement with a strategically assigned Recovery Coach. Each Recovery Coach will be a certified Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Peer Recovery Supporter and will have lived experienced navigating the service systems and accessing the resources to which referrals are made. Special populations that Peer Recovery Supporters may serve include those with co-occurring disorders, individuals interested in or eligible for medication assisted treatment (MAT), those who are parents and/or have a need to include family in their recovery process, individuals with a history of trauma, and the minority population.

Peer Recovery Supporters will provide the services needed post-release to increase treatment engagement and retention and therefore, reduce the likelihood of relapsing and reoffending. This includes the creation of a Recovery Wellness Plan; transportation to and from treatment appointments; coordination with criminal justice entities; providing resources for housing, employment and education; and continuity of care for long-term engagement.

It is anticipated that Oriana House will serve 1,300 individuals during the grant period which runs through September 2027.

Collaboration with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Adult Probation Department, and Summit Legal Defender’s Office was key to securing the funding to provide these research based services to a population who currently have little or no access to quality behavioral healthcare. Each of these key correctional partners are working together to implement and move ahead with the COACH services. The Oriana House Research Department will collect and analyze all data for the project.

Amy Corrigall Jones, Oriana House executive vice president of administrative services and business relations, said this grant funds services that will help eliminate the cycle of reoffending. “Research shows that Peer Recovery Supporters are effective in supporting treatment for addiction and mental health disorders by increasing a participant’s ability to enact change in their lives,” said Jones. “By engaging individuals in identifying and addressing the issues that led them to be involved in the criminal justice system, they are more likely to make changes that lead to responsible, healthy citizenship.”

Corrigall Jones continues, “Our work with of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Adult Probation Department, and Summit Legal Defender’s Office identified processes that allowed us to receive this grant so we can help individuals who disproportionally do not have access to the treatment services they need.”

Oriana House, Inc., is a private, non-profit agency dedicated to helping people triumph over addiction and mental illness. The organization provides community corrections and behavioral health programs that help direct individuals to a healthier and more responsible lifestyle.