Recovery Works Expansion

Recovery Works Expansion

Friday, December 18, 2020

Recently, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Division of Mental Health and Addiction announced that its Recovery Works program will expand to serve Hoosiers charged with or convicted of misdemeanor offenses.

Recovery Works was established in 2015 to create partnerships with the criminal justice system and mental health professionals to promote comprehensive recovery and reduce the likelihood of future offenses.

According to FSSA, of the current prison population, 16% of inmates have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness and more than half of those incarcerated in our state prisons have a substance use disorder diagnosis. This shows the need for a partnership between the criminal justice system and mental health and addiction service providers in order to reduce recidivism, encourage recovery and help address the gap in resources for this specific group.

Originally, this program was only available to someone facing a felony charge or with a prior felony conviction. Now, after the success of the first program, a pilot program targeting the needs of individuals charged with a misdemeanor crime will be established.

Twenty treatment providers and recovery residences serving 26 Indiana counties were selected for the pilot program through an application process. This program will aim to provide data and insights needed to include people with misdemeanor charges in the program statewide.

To learn more about Recovery Works, click here.