Spectrum to Provide MAT Services for Incarcerated Individuals in Massachusetts

Spectrum Health Systems, a Worcester, Massachusetts-based not-for-profit addiction treatment provider, announced that it has been awarded a four-year, $43.5 million contract by the Massachusetts Department of Correction to provide medication-assisted treatment to incarcerated offenders.

The new program expands on an existing relationship between Spectrum and MADOC, as Spectrum has provided other SUD treatment services and recidivism reduction program under contract to MADOC since 1993.

Through our mutual efforts, we have developed and implemented treatment programs that have demonstrated significant reductions in recidivism,” Jennifer Gaffney, deputy commissioner of reentry and clinical services, said in a news release. “Spectrum’s extensive knowledge of MADOC paired with its vast experience in providing medications for opioid use disorders will help ensure a smooth and successful implementation of this significant undertaking.”

Jeffrey Baxter, MD, Spectrum’s chief medical officer, will serve in an executive leadership role for the new programming, overseeing all medical services delivered under the new deal. Recently hired medical director Sharif Nankoe, MD, Tracey Desruisseaux, state director of DOC MAT services, and Kristin Nolan, senior VP of behavioral health, will also serve in leadership roles on the project.

Incarcerated individuals receiving MAT services within MADOC facilities will have the option of transitioning to continued care within Spectrum’s 15 community-based outpatient centers after their release before locating a provider closer to home.

Spectrum has begun implementing MAT services at four correctional facilities, and the company says addiction programs will follow over the next 12 months to cover the rest of the state. The new MAT program with MADOC follows other deals the company has reached with correctional systems within the past year, including agreements with Essex County Sheriff’s Department and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department to provide SUD treatment programming for inmates and detainees, and MAT for the incarcerated population of Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department.