Medication Assisted Treatment Program Expands

 The Franklin County Commissioners recently contracted with Keystone Health Center and Pyramid Healthcare, Inc. to expand the medication assisted treatment (MAT) program at the Franklin County Jail.

Started in 2017, Franklin County’s MAT program, known as “Jail To Community Treatment” (JTCT), aids individuals’ recovery efforts both during and after a jail stay. Due to its success rates, JTCT has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections which plans to replicate the Franklin County model in other counties.

Justin Lensbower, Health Services Administrator and Director of Mental Health Services for the Franklin County Jail, explained that the program is designed to serve individuals who have long struggled with their recovery.

“We’re starting off with the toughest group to treat, then measuring them by the toughest standards, and we’re still having higher success rates compared to other programs,” said Warden Bill Bechtold.

JTCT program success is measured by the participant’s ability to stay free of charges. Any new charge, at any time post-release, is recorded as a program failure.

“Our projected success rate was 40%,” said Mr. Lensbower, who attributes the 54% success rate of the program to its focus on counseling. Program participants receive 4-6 weeks of counseling prior to getting their first injection. Treatment and medications are then continued into the community which sets participants up for success upon their release due to the connections created and trust built with community providers.

“We provide two to three times more counseling than other programs,” said Warden Bechtold.

New grant funding supports the jail’s expansion of medication options to include suboxone and subutex. “Vivitrol is not effective for everyone,” said Warden Bechtold. “Programs have to be flexible.” The expanded medication options also allow the jail to seamlessly transition individuals who are in MAT upon entering the jail to continue their treatment while in jail with costs covered by a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski commented, “The 54% that are successful—those are lives changed.”

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