An evaluation of the use of Community Transition Teams to improve health outcomes for individuals with an opioid use disorder following release from British Columbia Corrections

The period following release from jail is one of increased vulnerability for individuals with an opioid use disorder, as they re-immerse into their communities, search for housing and employment and attempt to access health care services. Without proper support, this population is at high risk for a relapse to opioid use, overdose and death. To help improve health outcomes associated this critical time of transition from a correctional facility to community, Correctional Health Services (CHS) has implemented Community Transition Teams (CTTs) in BC. CTTs adopt a client-centred approach to care, where a case manager works closely with an individual to help them identify their priorities and takes an active role in supporting them to achieve their treatment goals following release from provincial corrections. While the implementation of CTTs in correctional settings in BC is confirmed to proceed, no formal evaluation of the impact such an evidence-based treatment approach may have on resulting health or social outcomes for this high-risk population has yet been proposed. To address this, the proposed research will evaluate the impact of CTT participation on health and social outcomes among incarcerated individuals with opioid addiction, as well as identify relevant barriers impeding successful scale-up of CTTs within BC. Participants will complete a one-time questionnaire and provide consent to the use of their personal identifiers for linkage to a variety of healthcare databases for ongoing community follow-up over a 5-year period. A sample of participants will also be invited to participate in a cross-sectional qualitative interview to identify existing barriers or challenges associated with the successful implementation or scale-up of CTTs, and to identify feasible solutions. Knowledge gained through this research will identify health outcomes associated with the use of CTTs and inform successful implementation and scale-up of the program.