In April 2020, the Michigan Opioid Partnership generously funded a proposal to provide telehealth hardware and software to county jails served by the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) at Wayne State University's School of Social Work. As Michigan was in the midst of the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of the proposal was to rapidly establish or enhance telehealth services focused on the behavioral health needs of jail residents.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, many jails restricted access to facilities and attempted to slow the spread of the coronavirus by reducing jail populations. These critical public health measures resulted in limited or restricted access to behavioral health clinicians who typically provided services within the jails.

Eighteen jails across the state were provided with one or more iPads (depending on the size of the jail), Zoom telehealth contracts, and unlimited data plans for one year. Two participating jails are also being equipped with smart televisions, video cameras, sound gear, and computers to enable group telehealth services with outside providers who would not normally be allowed into correctional facilities during this pandemic.

The project prioritized dispersing hardware and software support to participating jails as quickly as possible, and the CBHJ supported the sites in implementing the new services based on the unique needs of each jail setting. "In many cases, jail correctional staff were comfortable with technology and set up the tablets while other jails relied on their IT departments," says Bob Butkiewicz, CBHJ Project Coordinator. "However, some jails had challenges to problem solve, such as buildings made of concrete that were not conducive to WIFI or cell data signals. The CBHJ offered additional equipment to solve these and other technical problems as quickly as possible." An overriding concern of jails was security as jails had to ensure that jail residents would not be able to make unauthorized calls or have access to the internet. Although jails were apprehensive about security of the equipment, all of the jails were able to utilize the equipment once they made protocols unique to their facilities.

Participating jails track monthly use and are surveyed to evaluate for satisfaction 100% of participating jails surveys stated that the program improved access to behavioral health care in these challenging times. 55% of jails surveyed reported that the use of telehealth maintained pre-COVID-19 quality of care, and 45% stated it improved quality of care. Half of jails reported that the tablets were used as a complete replacement of in-person services with the other half reporting it was a partial replacement.

In addition to providing behavioral telehealth services, many participating jails are using the hardware to enhance re-entry services and validated screening processes. Some jails have included access to MI Bridges onto tablets to connect jail residents to their benefits portal and help them establish or re-establish Medicaid. A few jails supplied booking stations with tablets in order to add standardized behavioral health screens such as the Kessler-6 (K6) and the Rapid Opioid Dependence Screen (RODS) to their booking process.

The CBHJ is still looking for partner sites to receive jail telehealth hardware and software. If you are interested, please contact us.

About the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice: The Wayne State University School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and envisions communities in which research, data, and best practices are used by multiple stakeholders to enhance the optimal well-being of individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders who come into contact with the criminal/legal system. Learn more

About the Michigan Opioid Partnership: The Michigan Opioid Partnership (MOP) is a public-private collaborative including the state of Michigan and key nonprofit funders, whose mission is to decrease Michigan opioid overdoses and deaths through prevention, treatment, harm reduction and sustained recovery. Learn more