BayMark Expands Treatment Options at New Mexico Metropolitan Detention Center

Recovery Services of New Mexico launches Buprenorphine Program for incarcerated individuals.

Recovery Services of New Mexico (RSONM), a BayMark Health Services company, has announced its expansion of medication-assisted treatment services with the Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS) offering buprenorphine maintenance treatment at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  On September 1^st, Recovery Services began the Buprenorphine Maintenance Program, serving an average of 22 patients per day who have been diagnosed with an OUD through the correctional services intake screening process. The program provides service to individuals who engaged in a recovery program prior to incarceration, to maintain their continued treatment while incarcerated at the MDC.  The partnership between the County MDC, DBHS and Recovery Services, which began in 2009, has worked diligently to address the opioid addiction treatment needs of the incarcerated population.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health, as of 2019, New Mexico had the 12th highest drug overdose death rate in the nation. Prescription opioids and heroin were among the most common drugs causing unintentional overdose death for the period 2015-2019 at 46% and 36% respectively. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has proved to be clinically effective to significantly improve patient survival, increase retention in treatment, decrease illicit opiate use and other criminal activity among people with substance use disorders, and increase patients’ ability to gain and maintain employment.

“Expanding access to life-saving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) with methadone and buprenorphine is critical to combating the opioid epidemic. For people with opioid use disorder (OUD) involved in the criminal justice system, treatment with MOUD decreases recidivism and reduces the risk of overdose and return to substance use after release from incarceration. Providing MOUD during incarceration also prevents opioid withdrawal and cravings” stated Sergio Huerta, MD, Medical Director for RSONM. The Bernalillo DBHS and RSONM have been pioneers in providing methadone at the MDC. RSONM’s MDC based methadone maintenance program has had proven success and significant impact on the community as confirmed by independent studies.

“Bernalillo County’s trailblazing efforts to implement Medication Assisted Treatment in the Jail setting has afforded us the opportunity to learn from efforts and offer support to our national partners also seeking to implement similar programming. Individuals incarcerated at MDC are primarily part of our most vulnerable populations and are experiencing a high need for substance use supports and although incarcerated we have an obligation to offer behavioral health supports to all community members. This collaborative approach between our detention facility and community based providers ensures that we are maximizing resources and effectively supporting the community.” says County Manager Julie Morgas Baca.

“Recovery Services, a BayMark Health Services company, developed the first fully licensed correctional opioid treatment program (OTP) in New Mexico in 2009 and has operated it successfully and without interruption since that time. This was one of the nation’s first public-private partnerships to offer opioid treatment of this magnitude within the confines of a correctional institution. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with MDC and Bernalillo county DBHS, two outstanding government entities that place patient care at the forefront.” commented Ed Hunt, Vice President of Correctional Services, BayMark Health Services.

About Recovery Services of New Mexico & BayMark Health Services:

Recovery Services of New Mexico is a BayMark Health Services company.  BayMark Health Services provides medication-assisted treatment to 70,000+ patients in recovery from substance use disorder across the United States and Canada. Our outpatient programs deliver medically-supervised treatment, in a variety of modalities and settings, to meet the diverse needs of our patients who struggle with the use of opioids, alcohol and other prescription and illicit substances.