Connecting Justice-Involved Individuals with Health Homes at Reentry: New York and Rhode Island

Justice-involved individuals have a high prevalence of mental health, substance use, and chronic health conditions. Connecting those individuals to health services during reentry could help improve their health and lower their risk of recidivism. This Urban Institute brief highlights how New York and Rhode Island have used Medicaid Health Homes to ensure that returning citizens have access to health care as they transition back into the community. Lessons learned from both states include the need for pre-release discharge planning so participants are immediately connected to health services upon release, and the value of having a liaison bridge the gap between the justice and health systems. Both states also needed creativity and commitment at the state level to fund the health home model, as well as formal structures for communication and collaboration across systems.