Springfield, OH
City of Springfield
OHio
Urban | Population: 134,610The City of Springfield, Ohio, is tackling the challenges of the opioid crisis through a jail-based initiative in Clark County, led by the Mental Health Recovery Board, a multidisciplinary coordinating body. Launched in 2022, the Recovery Resource & Community Advocacy Project focuses on expanding treatment efforts by implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) within the Clark County Jail, strengthening reentry coordination, offering transitional housing and recovery support, and integrating peer services. Springfield remains committed to enhancing public safety and promoting community well-being in southwestern Ohio.
33
individuals received
post-release treatment
over the last two years…
233
individuals received treatment services in jail
Transforming Lives Through Early Intervention
The City of Springfield’s COSSUP initiative created a jail-based initiative in Clark County, led by the Mental Health Recovery Board, a multidisciplinary coordinating body. The program focuses on four key components: expanding treatment and risk reduction efforts, enhancing reentry coordination, providing transitional housing and recovery support, and integrating peer and social worker support. This comprehensive approach aims to improve recovery outcomes, facilitate successful reentry, and reduce recidivism among individuals impacted by substance use and mental health challenges.
McKinley Hall
is a community partner offering a variety of treatment and recovery services.
Key Components of the Program
Peer Recovery Support
Peer recovery support specialists play a vital role in supporting individuals as they transition from incarceration to community-based care. They assist with benefit enrollment, transportation to eligibility appointments, and follow-up support for benefit denials or discontinuations.
McKinley Hall’s “Many Path Ways” program
offers a space where clients can relax, attend NA and AA meetings, and receive peer support throughout their journey (pictured below).
Embedded within the jail, peer supporters continue engagement post-release to ensure continuity of care. Working closely with case managers, they help develop and adjust treatment plans and connect clients with employment opportunities to support individualized recovery goals.
Recovery Housing
21
individuals have been housed over the last 2 years
The Recovery Resource & Community Advocacy Project provides transitional housing and recovery support to individuals reentering the community from correctional settings, with services tailored to both men and women. While initial housing units were designated for male clients receiving methadone, plans are underway to expand availability to female participants. Currently, all existing housing is occupied, and no clients are experiencing homelessness. Renovations are underway for a separate reentry housing unit to launch it alongside the county’s 24/7 withdrawal management clinic. Additionally, the program is finalizing a plan to support women's transition from the local jail into a newly retrofitted, three-bed transitional house.
Looking Ahead
the clark county jail
provides AOD assessments and both group and individual counseling.
The initiative demonstrates how continuous collaboration and commitment can overcome barriers and achieve meaningful outcomes that save lives. The team is actively working to expand MAT services and provide treatment and housing options for both men and women to meet the community’s evolving needs. Over the next year, the team plans to demonstrate effective use of Brixadi in the local jail, with at least 70% of the participants transitioning to outpatient treatment upon release. The program strengthens public safety, enhances treatment continuity, and supports long-term recovery success by prioritizing early intervention, personalized support, and seamless transitions from incarceration to community-based care.
Collaborative Partners
City of Springfield
Clark County Sheriff’s Office
Clark County Jail
McKinley Hall
Mental Health and Recovery Board of Clark and Madison Counties
Clark County Reentry Coalition
Wright State University (evaluator)
Project Director
Willard Dan Dearmond Jr., Program Manager
McKinley Hall
wdearmond@mckinleyhall.org
937-328-5300
This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA23GK02258COAP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.