Correctional Health Program

The MetroHealth System is the correctional medicine contractor for the Cuyahoga County Jail. The Correctional Medicine Program at the Cuyahoga County Jail is accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare.

Staff include the onsite leadership (Medical Director, Director of Nursing and a Health Services Administrator), nurse and behavioral health managers, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants, paramedics and support staff.

Onsite services include:

1. Medical Care

• Primary and urgent care available 24/7 through onsite and on-call medical providers
• Chronic disease management
• Women’s health services
• OB/GYN services
• Prenatal care is provided in the pregnancy unit, where women receive access weekly to the Centering Pregnancy group prenatal care program, a unique offering that is a model for other jails and the first of its kind offered in a jail setting in the nation
• Birthing Beautiful Communities offers doula services to all incarcerated pregnant women—prenatal, during childbirth and post-partum
• A lactation program is provided for all breastfeeding women inside the housing unit. Women have on-unit access to hospital grade breast pumps, freezers for storing their milk and opportunities for family members to pick up the milk and provide to their babies at home.

2. Behavioral Health Services

• Psychiatry, therapeutic and group counseling services are available
• Urgent care for mental health concerns and crisis is available 24 hours per day/7 days per week.

3. Substance Use Disorder Services

• Medication assisted treatment is offered onsite, including methadone dispensing through a contracted provider.
• Patient Navigator services are available to assist individuals that will need follow-up care or social services support post-release
• MetroHealth's Expanding Access to Medication Assisted Treatment (ExAM) Program provides individuals addicted to opioids with Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)and ongoing care post-release. The program is designed to refer all clients who participate while incarcerated to community treatment services upon release.
• Dedicated housing unit for residents experiencing withdrawal from all substances.
• Residents in this housing unit receive intensive monitoring by the clinical team to ensure safety and comfort as they experience withdrawal symptoms.
• Group therapy for addiction is provided in the housing unit 5 days per week.

4. Dental

• Onsite dental services are provided 5 days per week and include urgent and emergent treatment as well as dental hygiene services and annual check-ups for inmates that are in the facility for longer than a year.

5. Digital in-house x-ray/ultrasound imaging and laboratory support
   
6. Pharmacy

• Onsite, 7-day per week pharmacy is available for residents to receive most medications that they are prescribed in the community

7. Specialty, emergency care and hospitalization is available as needed.

Group Programming

The Cuyahoga County Corrections Program and the Correctional Medicine Team have partnered together to provide a series of educational and therapeutic programs to further the rehabilitative mission of the correctional facility. By addressing the needs of the resident, rather than just addressing the individual offense, the goal is to reduce recidivism, improve the communities in which we all live, save taxpayer dollars through reducing correctional costs, and disrupt the often-intergenerational cycle of trauma and incarceration.

Certifications

The following programs are offered in select housing units in the jail and are offered in two and four-week sessions. If residents complete the program, they will receive a certificate of completion to share with their judges and legal representation.

Groups Offered include: