Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Big Bend Community Based Care and Disc Village, Inc. Unveils New Telehealth Medication-Assisted Treatment Program

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla., August 8, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On June 19th at 11:00am Franklin County Sheriff, AJ Smith, Big Bend Community-Based Care CEO Mike Watkins, and DISC Village, Inc. CEO John Wilson will be unveiling a first-in-the-circuit virtual behavioral health screening assessment and medication-assisted treatment program for all Franklin County Jail inmates. This program is operating with support from Arthur Cooksey, CEO of Let's Talk Interactive, Dr. Norm Hoffman of Evince Clinical Assessments, and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Telemedicine Grant Program.

Screenings will be provided upon admission into Franklin County Jail to help identify behavioral health issues and engage inmates in treatment and recovery programs prior to their release. The ultimate goal of the project is to reduce recidivism and increase access to treatment for inmates suffering from addiction.

Utilizing Let's Talk Interactives HIPPA-compliant virtual behavioral health platform and kiosks, services such as behavioral health assessments and medication assisted treatment will be delivered both in the jail and the community for a seamless delivery of services pre and post release. These services are intended to expand access to individuals and link them with the support needed to continue their recovery.

The goal of the program is to address addiction while inmates are in jail and assist them with the transition into a successful life upon release. The program is expected to reduce substance abuse, crime, and recidivism rates, while saving taxpayers a significant amount of money.

Big Bend Community Based Care and Disc Village have secured the necessary resources from LTI to expand this program to more rural counties in the Panhandle including Liberty, Jefferson, Madison, Wakulla, and Taylor County.

"We are excited to support this important program," said Arthur Cooksey, CEO at Let's Talk Interactive. "There is an increasing need for evidence-based treatment programs in our prisons. We feel that telemedicine will fill this need and enable faster diagnosis and treatment of addiction."

Despite the fact that a large number of prison inmates suffer from substance abuse issues, very few actually receive treatment. Research has shown that inmates that receive evidence-based treatment in prison have a significantly reduced risk for continued substance abuse and a reduced risk of drug-related death following release. Unfortunately, many U.S. prisons do not offer inmates with proper treatment and do not offer medication-assisted treatment to help control withdrawal symptoms during detox. The Telemedicine Medication-Assisted Treatment Program aims to change current treatment policies and provide inmates with access to the care they need.

About Let's Talk Interactive
Let's Talk Interactive provides medical professionals with cutting-edge custom telemedicine solutions. The company's telemedicine software suite makes it possible for healthcare professionals to use digital assessment to diagnose patients faster. This enables quicker, more effective treatment of a variety of medical and behavioral health issues. Let's Talk Interactive's unique approach to healthcare makes it possible for more people to receive the treatment they require regardless of local service levels.

For more information about the company, please visit their website at On June 19th at 11:00am Franklin County Sheriff, AJ Smith, Big Bend Community-Based Care CEO Mike Watkins, and DISC Village, Inc. CEO John Wilson will be unveiling a first-in-the-circuit virtual behavioral health screening assessment and medication-assisted treatment program for all Franklin County Jail inmates. This program is operating with support from Arthur Cooksey, CEO of Let's Talk Interactive, Dr. Norm Hoffman of Evince Clinical Assessments, and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Telemedicine Grant Program. Screenings will be provided upon admission into Franklin County Jail to help identify behavioral health issues and engage inmates in treatment and recovery programs prior to their release. The ultimate goal of the project is to reduce recidivism and increase access to treatment for inmates suffering from addiction. Utilizing Let's Talk Interactives HIPPA-compliant virtual behavioral health platform and kiosks, services such as behavioral health assessments and medication assisted treatment will be delivered both in the jail and the community for a seamless delivery of services pre and post release. These services are intended to expand access to individuals and link them with the support needed to continue their recovery. The goal of the program is to address addiction while inmates are in jail and assist them with the transition into a successful life upon release. The program is expected to reduce substance abuse, crime, and recidivism rates, while saving taxpayers a significant amount of money. Big Bend Community Based Care and Disc Village have secured the necessary resources from LTI to expand this program to more rural counties in the Panhandle including Liberty, Jefferson, Madison, Wakulla, and Taylor County. "We are excited to support this important program," said Arthur Cooksey, CEO at Let's Talk Interactive. "There is an increasing need for evidence-based treatment programs in our prisons. We feel that telemedicine will fill this need and enable faster diagnosis and treatment of addiction." Despite the fact that a large number of prison inmates suffer from substance abuse issues, very few actually receive treatment. Research has shown that inmates that receive evidence-based treatment in prison have a significantly reduced risk for continued substance abuse and a reduced risk of drug-related death following release. Unfortunately, many U.S. prisons do not offer inmates with proper treatment and do not offer medication-assisted treatment to help control withdrawal symptoms during detox. The Telemedicine Medication-Assisted Treatment Program aims to change current treatment policies and provide inmates with access to the care they need. About Let's Talk Interactive Let's Talk Interactive provides medical professionals with cutting-edge custom telemedicine solutions. The company's telemedicine software suite makes it possible for healthcare professionals to use digital assessment to diagnose patients faster. This enables quicker, more effective treatment of a variety of medical and behavioral health issues. Let's Talk Interactive's unique approach to healthcare makes it possible for more people to receive the treatment they require regardless of local service levels. For more information about the company, please visit their website at https://www.letstalkinteractive.com.

SOURCE Let's Talk Interactive

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