Member Article

Breaking Free launches a world first digital healthcare intervention in Criminal Justice sector

Breaking Free Group has launched the first online substance misuse and mental health intervention in the Criminal Justice System anywhere in the world. This follows the commission by NHS England of the Breaking Free Online treatment and recovery programme as an integral part of Gateways, an important ‘Through the Gate’ initiative in ten prisons across the North-West.

Gateways is a pioneering concept that is being implemented by NHS England in partnership with the Ministry of Justice National Offender Management Service. Its key aim is to break the cycle of substance misuse, offending and going to prison by strengthening support for people when they transition from custody and reintegrate back to the community.

Specifically, the Gateways initiative is designed to provide ongoing rehabilitation for prisoners as they leave custody. To achieve this, a robust and integrated package of support and supervision is being put in place, with an increased focus on gaining employment, securing housing and promoting substance misuse recovery services – including drug testing, overdose prevention, peer mentoring services, and, for the first time, innovation in the form of Breaking Free Online a technology enhanced recovery intervention..

The initial roll out of Gateways covers ten resettlement prisons in the North-West of England, bringing together a number of public and private sector providers. Breaking Free Online has been chosen to play a key role because it delivers an evidence based intervention and provides essential continuity of care opportunities: prisoners can access the programme while serving their sentence, and then carry on using it in the community after their release. It allows them to address the underlying psychological and lifestyle issues that perpetuate their substance misuse, mental health difficulties and related offending behaviours thereby helping reduce the risk of reoffending.

Breaking Free Online is already being used to improve outcomes in a wide spectrum of drug and alcohol treatment services in communities throughout the UK. It has been commissioned by over 60 Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, and by several leading national service providers, including CRI, Turning Point and Addaction.

“We are very proud that Breaking Free Online has been included in the groundbreaking Gateways pathfinder,” commented Dr Jonathan Ward, Managing Director. “This has been made possible by the support of the National Offender Management Service and by their willingness to promote and facilitate technology innovation. We are now excited to see the impact this partnership will have in terms of both improving health outcomes for prisoners and reducing reoffending rates.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clive Bawden .