The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced last week a $52 million investment in 54 health centers to improve access to primary care for those preparing to leave incarceration.
HRSA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. The funding will help the health centers manage chronic conditions, provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and reduce the risk of drug overdose. It will also support the health centers in preventing, screening, diagnosing and treating infectious diseases.
The health centers have to offer case management services and collaborate with community partners as well. This will help address health-related social needs that those leaving incarceration may have, including housing, financial struggles, food insecurity, intimate partner violence and transportation issues.
The recipients had to apply for funding, according to HRSA. The agency received more than 100 eligible applications and selected the recipients through an objective review process.
There is a need for more support for people reentering society following incarceration. About 80% of those leaving incarceration battle a chronic, psychiatric or substance use condition, according to the announcement. Opioid overdose is also a leading cause of death for those released from prison, and this population has higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, hepatitis and hypertension.
The $52 million investment comes after HRSA released a draft policy earlier this year for all health centers, outlining the conditions under which they can offer pre-release care to individuals involved in the justice system. This policy aims to help health centers better serve the needs of their communities by detailing how they can provide healthcare services to incarcerated individuals who are scheduled for release or are expected to be released within 90 days, ensuring continuity of care.
“At HRSA, we are committed to caring for historically underserved communities,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson in a statement. “People reentering the community from incarceration are particularly vulnerable to poor health outcomes and mortality. We can change that if care and services are more closely connected to the reentry experience, which is why we are working to clarify that HRSA-funded health centers can provide pre-release services and why we are investing in health centers engaging with individuals prior to their release to better support their successful and healthy reentry to the community.”
In July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also authorized Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah and Vermont to provide Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to those transitioning out of incarceration before they’re released.
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