A new peer navigator program could better support people released from the Boone County Jail, according to a news release from the Boone County Commission.
The commission voted in favor of the contract with in2Action, a Columbia-based nonprofit aiming to reduce the chance of reoffending, on Tuesday.
The peer navigator program seeks to increase treatment and supportive services before an offender is released and continue helping them as they reenter society, according to the news release.
It involves individualized support for current detainees in the Boone County Jail and people released from detention within the past 12 months.
Peer navigators will work directly with participants to develop personalized reentry plans and connect them with community resources, according to the news release.
"When people leave incarceration connected to recovery, housing, employment, and peer support, they are far more likely to build stable, productive lives," in2Action Executive Director Dan Hanneken said in the news release. "This partnership is an investment in both second chances and a safer, healthier Boone County."
The nonprofit, founded in 2011, has grown from renting a large house for seven men to hosting a campus of 55 beds. It is also holds a certified clinical outpatient treatment program with a one-year reoffending rate of 6% compared to the Boone County average of 26%, according to its website.
Services from in2Action will include handoffs to community-based providers offering medication-assisted treatment, behavioral healthcare, housing assistance, employment support and other recovery-focused services, according to the news release.
The initiative, funded through opioid settlement dollars received by the county, aims to reduce barriers that often contribute to relapse and reoffending.
Commissioners described it as an investment in public safety and community well-being.
"This approach not only improves outcomes for individuals and families, but also helps address jail overcrowding by breaking the cycle of repeated detention,” Commissioner Janet Thompson said in the news release.
While the contract has been awarded, it is currently unknown when the program will begin.
