The Washington State Department of Corrections Health Services Division has developed a systemwide continuity-of-care process to ensure that individuals who are leaving prison have access to needed medical, mental health, and substance use treatment in the community. This process has increased the focus on collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to assist with identification of reentry needs and facilitation of warm hand-offs at release. This presentation will discuss the current and future state of health services reentry to include patient identification, initial assessment of need, approach to reentry planning, and community supports.

Educational Objectives

• Describe the goals of the health services reentry programs
• Discuss the need for cross-agency coordination to improve continuity of care during transition
• Identify gaps, barriers, and next steps to improving continuity of care planning

Level Intermediate