Community Recovery Program Moves Forward with Bowen Health Contracts – InkFreeNews.com

Flanked by Mid-County County Commissioner Cary Groninger (left) and North County County Commissioner Brad Jackson (right), South County County Commissioner Bob Conley explains the county opioid committee’s recommendations to contract two recovery coaches for the Kosciuszko Jail Community Recovery Program in a meeting district commissioner earlier this year. Photo by David Sloan, Times-Union.

David Sloan
Times Union

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Contracts between the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office and Bowen Health, approved by county commissioners Monday, Nov. 4, will allow inmates to receive therapy while in jail.

Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris McKean asked commissioners to approve two service agreements with Bowen Health, formerly Bowen Center.

“They will both be discussing the (county) opioid committee’s approval of peer recovery coaches and therapy at the Kosciusko County Jail that revolves around the recovery program,” he said.

The first agreement with Bowen Health includes $45,000 per year for a peer recovery coach to be included in KCJ’s community recovery program.

After that contract was approved, McKean submitted a second contract for $26,000 per year, which is for therapeutic programs at the prison that Bowen Health will provide.

“Their therapist would come in and they would get individual and group therapy as part of the program itself,” McKean said. “This is the program we are developing. It is currently under development. Negotiations are ongoing. One of the things that has changed since this agreement was presented to you is that we have actually spoken to them and they are willing to provide group therapy for a set fee for the group, which will reduce individual costs per inmate, and this will be reflected as soon as all this will be completed.”

The commission members unanimously approved this contract.

After the commission meeting, McKind said CRP has a resource navigator, Shanna Wallen, and she does a great job.

“But the next part in it is the actual peer recovery part, so we need peer recovery coaches back into the prison, and thanks to the opioid (settlement) money, we got approval to actually put two peer recovery coaches back into the prison. So what you heard today was a service agreement to enter into an agreement with the Bowen Center to actually implement one of these peer recovery coaches. We also have a program that we do with the Bowen Center where they will come and do one-on-one therapy sessions and group therapy sessions with inmates to try to alleviate some of the issues. we’re dealing with substance abuse,” McKean explained.

Therapy sessions will cover substance abuse and mental health. Since the funding comes from the opioid agreement, most of it is related to substance abuse, but there are programs that will also address issues such as anger management, domestic violence and others.

Sheriff Jim Smith said, “Peer recovery coaches are being used throughout the state and what they have found that really works and resonates with people who are trying to overcome the other side of addiction is hearing from those who are actively in recovery.”

He said he can read in a textbook about why a person should or shouldn’t do certain things, but what’s really important for those trying to recover from addiction is to hear from those who have already achieved it and are actively recovering.

“And it goes double because it’s also rewarding for these coaches because they’ve found a new passion and a new purpose, if you will, to continue to be successful. It’s great to see it all come to life, and it will start in prison, but it will remain there long after they are released – another person to go down this path with them. Of course, I’m not doing this for them,” Smith said. “I repeat: this is more of a hand up than an outstretched hand. And when you look at it that way, it only works for those who are willing to receive it. So, we will work all day and help you, but we cannot do it for you.”

In order for an inmate to participate in therapy sessions, he must ask to do so, McKind said. He said the program is run through a resource navigator who is in contact with inmates. It determines their willingness to change something in their life, moving forward to change their outcome.

“They are actually part of the program. They have a questionnaire that they fill out saying they want to participate, they want to take a step forward and they want to change something in their life,” he said.

It will be something different for each person. They have no criteria to meet. Prisoners are asked to want to make changes in their lives. The prison creates programs and people so that if an inmate really wants to change something, he can do it.

“It’s still up to them. We’re just giving them the opportunity to participate, giving them the tools to really make it happen,” McKind said.

He couldn’t say how far the $26,000 would go for therapy sessions, but Bowen Health did cooperate in how willing they were to come into the prison and offer sessions. Regarding group sessions, McKind said Bowen Health initially talked about billing on a per-participant basis, but then changed that to billing per session, which would significantly reduce the cost.

“It’s a big help for us, but it’s a big olive branch for the Bowen Center to say they’re going to do this. It’s definitely a collaborative effort,” McKind said.

He said throughout the CRP process they try to gather information to show it makes sense for the county to fund it.

“The introduction of this program is an effective solution. Many tests correspond to this. Our inmate population is one thing: tracking how often people return to our facility, and reducing that would be huge,” McKind said. “If you actually keep these people away from these substances, it will reduce crime in the community because we are finding that drug use is the cause of a lot of our crime. So, if you do one thing, it will have a positive effect in other places. This is hope.