Poster Presentations

Background: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) reduce overdose risks among correctional populations, but daily dosing requirements hinder treatment continuity post-release. Extended-release buprenorphine (XR-BUP) may offer a more effective alternative.

Objectives: This systematic review examined the feasibility and effectiveness of XR-BUP in correctional settings.

Methods: Ten studies (n = 819 individuals, 81.6% male) were analyzed from PubMed, Embase, and PsychINFO. Outcomes included feasibility, effectiveness, and barriers/facilitators.

Results: XR-BUP was feasible and safe, with no diversion, overdoses, or deaths, and was associated with reduced drug use, higher treatment retention, fewer reincarcerations, and lower costs. Correctional populations were twice as likely to try XR-BUP compared to non-correctional populations. Barriers (e.g., side effects, fear of needles) and facilitators (e.g., reduced relapse risk) were identified.

Conclusion: XR-BUP is a promising treatment option for correctional populations, with the potential to reduce post-release risks. Efforts to expand access are warranted.

Many people involved in the criminal justice process are affected by a mental wellness issue. Whether it is the victim of a crime, the person accused of committing it, or even the lawyers, service providers, probation officials and others helping out, they all can be negatively affected by what they see and hear in court. Learn how important peer support is to ones mental health, and how easy it is to create a peer support network.

Research demonstrates that a high percentage of individuals dealing with addictions, mental health, justice, domestic violence or homelessness, have a history of brain injury.  It is imperative that those who support these individuals have the means to provide them with care AND resources that allow them to move forward and feel connected within their community.  THE CENTRAL LINK ABI Resource Library is a comprehensive resource hub launched in February 2024 that helps those who have sustained a brain injury, along with their caregivers and the professionals (within and outside the field of brain injury) who support them, navigate to funded support services.  Drawing from the principles of social prescribing, the library considers the holistic needs of an individual, and the cumulative effect a brain injury can have on one’s life. This regionally-focused pilot has proven successful in its innovation and recently completed phase one of its expansion across the Province.