September 6, 2023

Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid spoke to a statewide audience about the “WHY” and “HOW” of treating inmates with opioid use disorder as well as the strategies and resources that support a safe and healthy reentry into the community upon their release from the Adult Detention Center (ADC). Also presenting were Ginny Atwood Lovitt, Executive Director of the Chris Atwood Foundation, and Dr. Sean Fogler, co-founder and consultant with Elevyst.

“As a brand-new deputy 35 years ago, I watched a person die from a heroin overdose, and there was nothing I could do,” said Kincaid. “It made a lasting impression on me, but times were different then. Law enforcement was not in the business of treating addiction as a chronic illness. We would treat the symptoms but not the cause. At the Sheriff’s Office we have learned so much over the past decade, which led us to change the way we do business. That means we treat not only the physical health of those entrusted to our care but also their behavioral health, be it a mental illness, substance use disorder and both when these issues co-occur.”

Kincaid explained that the Sheriff’s Office takes a multi-pronged approach to combat the opioid epidemic and overdose deaths. The focus is on prevention, treatment and harm reduction. “Our approach is not punitive. Instead, we are empathetic and non-judgmental.”

In 2018, the Sheriff’s Office launched Striving to Achieve Recovery (STAR), a peer-led program that equips participants with resources and a positive, productive routine so they have a better chance for success once they are released. Kincaid said that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to create a sustainable recovery. The program has seen a 56% success rate among its participants, meaning they have sustained their recovery long-term after release and not recidivated. “We are a model for other jails across the country,” she said.

In 2020, the Sheriff’s Office launched a Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) program. In FY 2022-2023, 2,336 individuals booked into the ADC were identified as having an opioid use disorder (OUD). During that same two-year period, 2,229 individuals received medication for their OUD.

With the help of community partners, Kincaid’s harm reduction practices have maximized the potential for successful reentry upon release. Reentry planning across systems ensures continuity of care and includes transportation to the Community Services Board’s Addiction Medicine Clinic, government-issued ID cards, bridge medication, recovery housing scholarships, cell phones with free minutes and pre-programmed contacts, and backpacks filled with basic necessities.

Kincaid’s bottom line is that treatment works, and recovery is possible. Changing the agency’s culture was key to the success of these programs.

The two-hour webinar, Demystifying Harm Reduction and the Criminal Justice System, was sponsored by The Chris Atwood Foundation (The CAF) and Elevyst.

• The CAF is a peer-driven community organization in Northern Virginia providing free harm reduction and recovery support services and advocacy for people impacted by substance use. It was created in 2013 after the Atwood Family lost their son and brother, Chris, to an accidental overdose at age 21. Executive Director Ginny Atwood Lovitt, Chris’ sister, is certified by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health as a Master Revive trainer and has taught over 2,000 individuals, families and professionals how to save a life with Narcan.
• Elevyst is a comprehensive consulting group passionate about helping organizations advance their community and public health initiatives. Sean Fogler, MD, is a physician in long-term recovery who uses his lived experience to educate and inform, reduce stigma and improve public health policy for mental health and substance use disorders. He also volunteers as a peer support specialist.