Springfield MA 01109  

 

Thomas Lincoln, MD,

Brightwood Health Center
380 Plainfield Street, Springfield MA 01107
Phone: (413)794-4458; Fax: (413)794-5131

 

 

 

 

The Hampden County Correctional Center (HCCC) in Springfield Massachusetts has developed a “public health model of correctional health care” that is recognized as national model. HCCC promotes continuity of care for inmates and releasees by using dually-based physicians and case managers working at the jail and at community health centers in Hampden County. The model emphasizes five elements: early detection, effective treatment, education, prevention, and continuity of care.

 

The proposed project will enhance current linkages in primary care and social support services by adding dually-based mental health clinicians that will provide mental health assessment and treatment services in the jail and at the collaborating community health centers that include the Holyoke Health Center, the Caring Health Center, Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center, High Street Health Center, and Brightwood Health Center.

 

Mental health services will be provided by a contracted, non-profit vendor, Behavioral Health Network. This provider delivers on-site outpatient and inpatient services at the jail of the health services department and through this project will expand services to increase continuity care through follow-up services at community health center sites that provide primary care to HIV-infected releasees.

 

The mental health services staff includes psychiatrists, social workers, clinicians, administrators, and program managers. The project will also increase the capacity of the collaborating health centers to provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction within the HIV primary care and support service network. Additional focus of the project will be to serve those HIV-infected individuals with co-occurring disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and HIV-infected women inmates and releasees.

Target Population

Currently there are between 120 to 140 inmates released each year into the community who are HIV positive. Of this target population about 10% are female, 60% are Hispanic, 22% are Black, 18% are white and the average age is 41.

Project Goals

GOAL 1. To coordinate and facilitate the evaluation of behavioral health services provided in a dual-sited jail and community health center HIV primary care model.
GOAL 2. To develop and evaluate an integrated model of HIV primary care and behavioral health care that increases medication adherence and improves access to care for HIV-infected individuals with behavioral health needs.
GOAL 3. To identify and evaluate effective methods to support and retain HIV-infected inmates and releasess in health care.