CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) - A Virginia county is one of 15 localities around the country chosen to participate in a national program to expand medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in jails.
Chesterfield County will receive scholarships for five staff members to attend training programs. Experts will work with jail officials to create treatment guidelines, manage medication administration and educate jail staff about addiction.
Chesterfield also will develop a plan with local health officials to ensure people can access treatment after they're released.
The program is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Arnold Ventures, a national philanthropy headquartered in Houston.
Other sites chosen to participate include: Cook County Jail in Chicago; Lewis and Clark County Detention Center in Helena, Montana; and Durham County, North Carolina.
