Justice and Health Connect: Sharing Data to Address Health Disparities in the Criminal Justice System David H. Cloud Substance Use and Mental Health Program.

Justice and Health Connect: Sharing Data to Address Health Disparities in

the Criminal Justice System

David H. Cloud

Substance Use and Mental Health Program

Vera Institute of Justice

[email protected]

The Vera Institute of Justice

• www.vera.org • Substance Use and Mental Health Program

– Jail diversion and reentry, Rockefeller drug law reforms, indigent defense for people with MHN, competency restoration reform, health reform and the CJ system, social impact bonds

• Justice and Health Connect– www.jhconnect.org

Why should health and justice agencies share information?

• Make use of untapped data resources• Reduce health disparities in the criminal justice system• Reduce costs and improve efficiency• Increase access to treatment• Reduce crime• Improve identification of health needs in jails and prisons• Bolster diversion and reentry• Evidence-based practices• Capitalize on health reform/curb correctional healthcare

costs

The Policy EnvironmentHealth Reform

The Affordable Care Act: A) ACA Objectives that impact criminal justice populations?

(1) Medicaid expansions (2) Outreach to enroll vulnerable/high cost populations into health plans(3) Expand, integrate, and coordinate comprehensive services (4) HIT

B) What are opportunities for health-justice information sharing? (1) Targeted enrollment into Medicaid(2) Linkage to ACA supported health services (e.g. health homes)

Policy Climate:Justice Reform

Justice Reform Factors

Dept. of Justice Information Sharing initiatives (e.g. Global Information Sharing Initiative)

Overcrowding/growing correctional healthcare costs

Investment in treatment alternatives to incarceration

Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act (Bipartisan support)

The challenges of justice and health data sharing

1. Privacy Law : What can we do?

2. Ethics: What should we do?

3. Cultural ClashHow do we work together?

4. Technology: How do we do it?

Introducing Justice and Health Connect

Justice and Health Connectwww.jhconnect.org

Evolution of JH Connect: D.C. Forensic Project; working with large datasets.

Aim: to increase the ability of government agencies and community organizations to share information across health and justice systems.

Features: Toolkit, myth-busters, resource library, fact sheets, templates, pod-casts, links galore.

Audience: Practitioners in criminal justice and public health

Toolkitwww.jhconnect.org

Resource Librarywww.jhconnect.org

Busting Mythswww.jhconnect.org

Breaking down Privacy Laws

Ethical Dilemmas of Information Sharing

Templates: Information Sharing Agreements

Templates: Multi-Party Consent Forms

TechnologyIdentifying Data Systems

Spectrum of Technological Solutions

– Secure email exchanges– Electronic health records (EHRs)– Cloud computing and web-based solutions– Health Information Exchanges

Questions and Feedback

Thank you!!

Please reach out!

www.jhconnect.org

David H. Cloud, Substance Use and Mental Health Program

– [email protected]