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May 27, 2019

Probation Clients’ Barriers to Access and Use of Opioid Use Disorder Medications

Despite probation’s role in assisting individuals to obtain treatment and services related to criminogenic needs—including substance misuse and SUDs—there is still only minimal information about what barriers probation departments face when assisting their clients. This study addresses this gap in knowledge. Because evidence-based treatment incorporates an individualized treatment plan, probation clients with OUD should have information and the ability to access all medication options available to them, as deemed appropriate by a medical professional—not a judge, probation officer, or other correctional staff. The current study adds to the research and further explored the perspectives of probation department directors and administrators on how they perceive their agency responds to probationers with OUDs, focusing on the barriers to accessing medications, as well as probation departments’ familiarity with, and training on, each of the three FDA-approved OUD medications.

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